A child is diagnosed with sickle cell disease. The parents are unsure how their child contracted the disease. Which explanation by the nurse is the most appropriate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sickle cell disease is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder, meaning that it requires two copies of the abnormal gene to be present for the disease to develop. A person who inherits one copy of the abnormal gene and one normal gene is said to have sickle cell trait, which usually does not cause symptoms. Therefore, both the mother and the father must have at least one copy of the abnormal gene to pass it on to their child, resulting in sickle cell disease.

A Child Is Diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease