Question

1. An adult client tells a nurse about siblings with sickle cell anemia. The client’s greatest concern is about offspring being affected by the disease in the future. Which is the most appropriate advice the nurse provides to the client?

   	1.	“Adoption of a child is the best way to prevent the disease.”
   	2.	“There are constant breakthroughs for treating the condition.”
   	3.	“You and your partner need to seek genetic counseling.”
   	4.	“Even as carriers, your offspring will exhibit the disease.”

Answer 1

When a client comes with a family history of sickle cell anemia, as far as current circumstances and methods are concerned its is better to tell them that "you and your partner need to seek genetic counselling".

Because, Genetic counselling is a method by which trained professionals will be able to calculate the chances of their offspring being born with sickle cell anemia by testing the blood of both partners and also tell them methods that may save the child from being born sicke celled.

A genetic counselor will also teach in depth, about various aspects of the disease and educate the couples about the disease and make them mentally capable of taking the correct decision based on their test results.

Other options are not suitable to be told directly as they have lesser knowledge about the disease and might also not be correct in their case. Like may be they have better chances of having a child without sickle cell anemia so adoption may not be the best option for them. Also it is not 100% sure that they will have a sickle celled child unless it's tested by experts. And also that scientific breakthroughs are not very reliable to have good faith and have own child. So it is always better to go for genetic couselling first.