Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common genetic blood disorder in the world. Millions of people in the world have SCD and about 300,000 babies are born with it each year. Readers will learn about the major symptoms of SCD, including chronic anemia, delayed growth, spleen dysfunction, opportunistic infections, vision loss, leg ulcers, stroke, and heart problems. The book explains how the primary cause of SCD is a gene mutation that causes hemoglobin to polymerize in red blood cells, making them adopt an abnormal sickle shape. Sickled cells carry less oxygen and occlude blood vessels in...