Is there a developmental delay in children with sickle cell disease?
Mental retardation or developmental delay are not characteristic of sickle cell disease, unlike genetic conditions such as Downs syndrome. However, two common complications of sickle cell disease are linked to cognitive problems. 1) Stroke (tissue death in parts of the brain, due to lack of blood flow) can occur in sickle cell children as early as 2yrs. Stroke due to damaged blood vessels can affect 10- 20% of children with the SS type of sickle cell disease. For other types of sickle cell, the rate of stroke is much lower. Stroke is diagnosed clinically when there is loss of motor or sensory function, but is confirmed by brain imaging such as CT scan or MRI scan. Some children have problems with cognitive function detectable on formal neuropsychologic/developmental testing, and abnormal CT or MRI brain scan, without loss of motor or sensory function — this is called Silent Infarct and is also common in sickle cell disease. Both Stroke and Silent infarct in sickle cell disease are lin
