The World Health Organisation (WHO) has today released its first-ever global guideline on the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) during pregnancy. The guidelines are meant to address critical and growing health challenges that can have life-threatening consequences for both women and babies. SCD is a group of inherited blood disorders characterized by abnormally shaped red blood cells that resemble crescents or sickles. These cells can block blood flow, causing severe anaemia, episodes of severe pain, and recurrent infections, as well as medical emergencies like strokes, sepsis, or organ failures. Health risks associated with SCD intensify during pregnancy due to heightened demands on the body's oxygen and nutrient supply. Women with SCD face a 4- to 11-fold higher likelihood of maternal death than those without.
They are more likely to experience obstetric complications like pre-eclampsia, while their babies are at greater risk of stillbirth or being born early or small. In Kenya, pregnant women with sickle cell disease (SCD) face significantly higher risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes and research published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicates that the disease burden is substantial, with an estimated 14,000 children born annually with SCD in Kenya, contributing to both child and adult morbidity and mortality Dr.
Pascale Allotey, Director for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at WHO and the United Nations' Special Programme for Human Reproduction (HRP), said that with quality health care, women with inherited blood disorders like sickle cell disease can have safe and healthy pregnancies and births. "This new guideline aims to improve pregnancy outcomes for those affected.
With sickle cell on the rise, more investment is urgently needed to expand access to evidence-based treatments during pregnancy as well as diagnosis and information about this neglected disease," Dr.
