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The Sickle Cell Program at Children's Hospital Boston provides consultation for the diagnosis, treatment and long-term health maintenance for children and young adults with sickle cell disease of all types (most commonly HbSS, HbSC and sickle-beta thalassemia). Usually diagnosed at birth, sickle cell disease is an inherited red blood cell disorder leading to anemia and episodes of blood vessel occlusion that lead to a wide variety of clinical symptoms.
Expert, Coordinated Care
The physicians and nurses at the Sickle Cell Program help optimize the well-being of more than 200 affected children and their families by focusing on health maintenance strategies, such as preventive therapies, screening for acute complications and the importance of recognizing the early signs of life threatening or chronic complications. Because sickle cell can affect nearly every major organ in the body, children in this program will also be treated by physicians form other specialty programs at Children's, on an as needed basis.
National Leadership
The Sickle Cell Program at Children has adopted a leadership role in improving the quality of life for children affected by sickle cell disease. It is a clinical core for the Boston Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, one of 10 National Institute of Health-funded centers in the United States, and it serves as a member of the New England Pediatric Sickle Cell Consortium.
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