I am married to a woman who has a daughter of 3 years for me, on carrying out a medical test on her, it was found out that she is AS. I am now even more worried that subsequent children might turn out to be SC, having read some write up on genotypes and the suffering that children with SC go through.

Which one be AC and SC again?

Gamingoingt:
I am married to a woman who has a daughter of 3 years for me, on carrying out a medical test on her, it was found out that she is AS. I am now even more worried that subsequent children might turn out to be SC, having read some write up on genotypes and the suffering that children with SC go through.

The genotypes in humans are AA, AS, AC, SS.

I hadn't heard of the genotype AC until I was researching on the subject of genotypes and blood groups. He's also the one I quoted above and throughout this article.

Anyway, I guess AC is not common in genotypes or I've simply not heard about it. But AS and AC are both abnormal take note.

And the great problem referred to above that we're trying to avoid with genotype matchmaking for intending couples is the Sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease (a recessive disorder) is a very serious medical condition with high prevalence rate in sub Saharan Africa. Intending couples must make sure to know their genotypes and be sure it's compatible for marriage before going ahead to get married.

So who can you marry and who shouldn't you marry based on Genotype compatibility?

Someone with the genotype AA can marry across. That is there's no risk of having a sicklier for a child even when he or she marries an SS. But AA marrying an SS can only result in AS children. There's no hope of having a child with the genotype AA. But there's no danger either.

Someone with the genotype AS should only marry someone with the genotype AA because if AS marries AS there's one out of 4 chances (AS, AS, AA and SS) that they will have a child with the sickle cell disease. Same applies when AC is combined. AC and AS combine will produce AA, AS, AC, SC, the sickle cell disease will be SC. Remember what the quote above from Dr. Peter said, it's only when two abnormal marry that there is a great problem.

Of course there are many cases where two abnormal was combined that is an AS and AS or AC and AC or AC and AS couples and had up to five or six children without a single sicklier among them. But why risk it? What if you're not so lucky? Can you forgive yourself when you end up having a child with the sickle cell disease and put the child through the agony the disease brings when you could have easily avoided it?

Compatible genotypes for marriage are:

AA marries an AA. That's the best compatible. That way you save your future children from having to worry about genotype compatibility in future.

AA marries an AS. You'll end up with kids with AA and AS which is good. But sometimes if you're not lucky all the kids will be AS. Like my elder sister who is AA and married an AS and was expecting to have kids with genotype mostly AA. But the last I heard two out of her 3 kids are AS; I'm not sure what the genotype of her third child is. Like I've said there's no problem having kids with AS except if eventually the kids marry people with the genotype AS.

AS and AS should not marry.

AS and SS shouldn't think of marrying.

And definitely SS and SS must not marry since there's absolutely no chance of escaping having a child with the sickle cell disease.

i quoted this....

You will need to check every pregnancy and make the difficult choice. It really is important that people check before they marry.

gabbytabby:
You will need to check every pregnancy and make the difficult choice. It really is important that people check before they marry.

And I believe the difficult choice is "abortion"....... I would like to be corrected.

What is your daughter's genotype?
The awareness in the world today should make everyone check genotype before marriage.