A 20-year-old woman with sickle cell trait asks about its inheritance. Which statement is correct?

• A. The condition will evolve into sickle cell anemia as she ages.
• B. All of her children will have sickle cell anemia.
• C. The trait will be transmitted to male children only.
• D. The trait can be passed on to all children.

Answer: (D)

Sickle cell trait follows autosomal recessive inheritance. A person with trait (one normal HbA gene and one sickle HbS gene) can pass the HbS allele to each pregnancy, and this can involve offspring of either sex. Whether a child becomes normal, a carrier, or affected depends on the partner’s genotype. If the partner is also a carrier, some children may have sickle cell disease; if the partner is not a carrier, children will be carriers or normal. The important point is that the trait is heritable and can be transmitted to offspring, regardless of the child’s sex, which is why this statement is the best choice among the options.