Trusted Resources: Evidence & Education
Scientific literature and patient education texts
Nutrition for the Child with Sickle Cell Anemia
source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
year: 2018
authors: Marisa Moore
summary/abstract:Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), also called Sickle Cell Anemia, is a genetic red blood cell disorder that causes blood cells to take on a sickle or crescent shape. In the U.S., SCD is most common among African Americans and Hispanic Americans. People with SCD often experience episodes of pain, fatigue and frequent infections. SCD is associated with low calcium intake, vitamin D deficiency and poor appetite. All of these can lead to delayed growth and development in children.
If your child gets enough calcium, keep up the good work! However, calcium alone is not enough. Calcium is effective at building strong bones only if your child also gets enough vitamin D. Emory University Associate Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Ify Osunkwo explains, “Many sickle cell disease patients are vitamin D deficient due to their darker skin, lack of dairy intake and limited sun exposure. If they drink milk, are out in the sun and open to eating dairy, they tend to fare better.”
read moreRelated Content
-
Boston Children’s Hospital receives grant for sickle cell disease researchThe Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation aw...
-
Coagulation abnormalities of sickle cell disease: Relationship with clinical outcomes and the effect of disease modi...Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hypercoag...
-
Realizing Effectiveness Across Continents With Hydroxyurea: Enrollment and Baseline Characteristics of the Multicent...Despite its well-described safety and ef...
-
Music therapy helps relieve pain in adults with sickle cell disease, pilot trial suggestsMusic therapy can help ease pain in ad...
-
Gene therapy targets sickle-cell diseaseElliott Vichinsky estimates that at leas...
-
Sancilio Pharmaceuticals Company, Inc. (SPCI) Receives Rare Pediatric Disease Designation From the US Food and Drug ...Sancilio Pharmaceuticals Company, Inc. (...
To improve your experience on this site, we use cookies. This includes cookies essential for the basic functioning of our website, cookies for analytics purposes, and cookies enabling us to personalize site content. By clicking on 'Accept' or any content on this site, you agree that cookies can be placed. You may adjust your browser's cookie settings to suit your preferences. More Information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.