WORLD
Sickle cell anaemia treatment 'effective for children'
Baku, May 14 (AZERTAC). A drug to treat sickle cell anaemia is safe for use in children and should be made available, US doctors say.
Sickle shaped red blood cells are more likely to block blood vessels and die sooner, resulting in pain, organ damage and early death.
The study in the Lancet, involving some 200 US babies, found hydroxycarbamide reduced pain and other complications in the half given the drug.
A UK expert said the findings were "extremely encouraging".
Hydroxycarbamide is already available for use in adults, but its effectiveness had not been tested in young children.
In the study, the babies taking the drug had half the number of painful events - pain lasting more than two hours and needing drug treatment.
There was an 80% reduction in cases of pain and tenderness in the hands and feet (dactylitis).
The study says the only negative effect was mild or moderate neutropenia, in which the number of infection fighting white blood cells falls.
The researchers said the study "should have a major effect on guidelines for the management of children with sickle cell anaemia.