A 3-week-old girl is brought to her primary care provider for a routine visit. The patient was born by normal spontaneous vaginal delivery at 39 weeks gestation. The mother is breastfeeding exclusively, . Newborn screening results from hemoglobin electrophoresis are as follows: The patient's mother has sickle cell trait, and a maternal cousin has sickle cell anemia. Examination shows a well-appearing infant with no pallor or splenomegaly. Which of the following is most likely true about this patient?

Question

A 3-week-old girl is brought to her primary care provider for a routine visit.  The patient was born by normal spontaneous vaginal delivery at 39 weeks gestation.  The mother is breastfeeding exclusively, .  Newborn screening results from hemoglobin electrophoresis are as follows:  The patient's mother has sickle cell trait, and a maternal cousin has sickle cell anemia.  Examination shows a well-appearing infant with no pallor or splenomegaly.  Which of the following is most likely true about this patient?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Patients with sickle cell trait are typically asymptomatic and have relative protection from malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum.  These patients usually have normal hemoglobin, reticulocyte, and red blood cell index values.  Life expectancy is the same as that of the general population.

A 3-Week-Old Girl Is Brought to Her Primary Care Provider