Hematology

Hydroxyurea does not cause genetic damage in children with sickle cell anemia

Young infants and toddlers with sickle cell anemia who received the drug hydroxyurea were no more likely to have cellular genetic damage than those who received a placebo or inactive medicine. Hydroxyurea was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for adults with sickle cell disease in 1998, but it has not yet been approved for use in children. Hydroxyurea reduces the amount of sickle hemoglobin by stimulating the production of fetal hemoglobin, which results in healthier red blood cells and a reduction in the frequency and severity of the complications associated with the disorder.
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Baylor College of Medicine