Newborn Screening Program

Hemoglobin C Trait - The Family Connection

If you've been told, as the result of a blood test, that your child has Hemoglobin C Trait, quite naturally you're concerned. Questions are tumbling through your head. "What does it mean?" "Is the baby sick?" "Can it develop into Sickle Cell Anemia?" "Can other members of my family get it?" -- Family Connection - Hemoglobin C Trait: How It Works

Your Baby is Not Sick

First of all let us assure you that Hemoglobin C Trait will not affect your baby's health. YOUR INFANT DOES NOT HAVE SICKLE CELL ANEMIA AND WILL NEVER DEVELOP THIS DISEASE.

Your Baby Inherited Hemoglobin C Trait

Hemoglobin C Trait, like hair color, general body build and other physical characteristics is passed down in the family from parent to child through the genes. Genes are tiny bits of information contained in the father's sperm and the mother's egg that form a blueprint for the new life. Genes come in pairs; for each characteristic there is one gene from the mother and one from the father. One of these pairs of genes determines hemoglobin -- the substance that carries oxygen in your blood and gives it its red color.

If your baby has Hemoglobin C Trait, it means that the baby inherited a normal hemoglobin gene from one parent and a changed or altered hemoglobin gene fromt he other parent. We refer to the usual gene as "A" and the changed gene as "C." Your baby, therefore, has AC hemoglobin. THIS COMBINATION OF GENES (AC) DOES NOT CAUSE DISEASE.

The Family Connection

You may have heard of Sickle Cell Trait, which is more common than Hemoglobin C Trait. This is caused by a different change in the same gene, and the altered gene is called "S." A person with Sickle Cell Trait has AS hemoglobin. THIS COMBINATION OF GENES (AS) DOES NOT CAUSE DISEASE.

However, there are some combinations of hemoglobin genes that can cause serious problems. If a baby inherits an "S" gene from both of his parents, he has SS Disease (Sickle Cell Anemia). If he inherits an "S" gene from one parent and a "C" gene from the other, he has SC Disease, a form of Sickle Cell Anemia. These can be severe and disabling conditions.

Why should the parents of a child with a Hemoglobin C Trait be tested if the baby is health? It is because this knowledge provides a clue in a medical detective story that can predict whether your future children can be born with a form of Sickle Cell Disease.

Follow this Link To Learn How It Works

What do the Test Results Mean?

The results of the parents' blood tests will provide the answer to the question, "Can we have a baby with a sickling disorder?"

As long as one parent has the usual hemoglobin (AA), THE CHILDREN BORN TO THAT COUPLE WILL NOT HAVE SICKLE CELL DISEASE OR SC DISEASE.

If one parent has Hemoglobin C Trait (AC) and the other parent has Sickle Cell Trait (AS), there is a 1 in 4 risk with each pregnancy of having a child affected with SC Disease. These parents should be counseled and advised of their risks and options. There are new tests available that can diagnose for some couples at an early state of pregnancy whether or not the fetus is affected with Sickle Cell Disease or SC Disease.

If only one parent is tested, and found to have a trait, it is essential that the other parent be tested as well. Otherwise, it may be impossible to predict whether or not that couple can have an affected baby.

You Are Not Alone

In this country, over 2 million people have Sickle Cell Trait (AS) or C Trait (AC), and more than 50,000 have Sickle Cell Disease. They are common among Black Americans, and to a lesser extent among people of Hispanic origins, but are also found in Greeks, Italians, East Indians, and Saudi Arabians, among others.

Sickle Cell Anemia is only one of many examples in which two healthy parents can produce a child with a genetic disease. Cystic Fibrosis, which is inherited in the same way, affects primarily Caucasians. Tay-Sachs disease is found mainly among Jews. Beta-thalassemia (Cooley's Anemia) is found mainly among Italians and Greeks.

Your new baby has undoubtedly brought much joy to your family. In addition, he or she has now added important knowledge that may protect your future children. It is important that both parents be tested and understand what the results of the tests mean.

Prepared by the Sickle Cell Education Subcommittee of the New York State Genetic Disease Program with funding from a grant from the Health Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.

Related Information

• Sickle Cell - How It Works
• Disorders Identified by the New York State Newborn Screening Program
• Sickle cell anemia
• Sickle Cells