Can a woman with sickle cell disease have a safe pregnancy?
Yes. However, women with sickle cell disease are at increased risk of complications that can affect their health and that of their babies. During pregnancy, the disease may become more severe and pain episodes may occur more frequently. A pregnant woman with sickle cell disease is at increased risk of preterm and of having a low-birthweight baby. However, with early prenatal care and careful monitoring throughout pregnancy, women with sickle cell disease can have a healthy pregnancy. If the babys father has sickle cell trait, the baby has a 50 percent chance of having the disease. If he does not, the baby will have only the trait.
