The Challenge of Sickle Cell Disease in Saudi Arabia

Comprehensive Newborn Screening Program: ARAMCO Experience, The National Need and Recommendations

“…A major obstacle is lack of knowledge of the accurate incidence and the natural history of such diseases in the developing countries including Saudi Arabia. Sickle cell disease is a good example in which the clinical history varies in different geographical areas [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. In newborn infants and children, an increased incidence of sepsis and serious infections in association with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and abnormal hemoglobins has been documented [16][17][18][19].…”