Sickle Cell Test

Hemoglobin S Test

What To Think About

• Most states routinely perform a sickle cell blood test on all newborns.
• If you have a family history of sickle cell disease, you may be advised to have a blood test to determine whether you carry the sickle cell trait. If you have sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease, you may choose genetic counseling before deciding to have children.
• Testing is available to check for sickle cell disease in a baby (fetus). This can be done through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS). For more information, see the medical tests Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS).
• Babies under 6 months of age may have false-negative results because they have more hemoglobin F (fetal hemoglobin) in their blood.
• Sickle cell disease occurs more often in African Americans than in other ethnic groups.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: January 16, 2007
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Martin Steinberg, MD - Hematology
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