Sickle cell anemia/disease diagnosis

As discussed above, in the case of phenylketonuria, early intervention can make the difference between mental retardation and a near normal life course for a newborn. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia and maple syrup urine disease are two examples of neonatal hereditary disorders where early diagnosis and medical intervention can make the difference between life and death for the newborn. In addition, in a number of genetic diseases, early diagnosis and treatment can help ameliorate symptoms these include fragile X syndrome, homocystinuria, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and many /1-thalassemias. 

Among its many other applications, DNA fingerprinting is widely used for the diagnosis of genetic disorders. Cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, Huntington s disease, Tay-Sachs disease, and sickle-cell anemia are among the many diseases that can be detected, enabling early treatment of an affected child. In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense now requires blood and saliva samples from all military personnel. The samples are stored, and DNA is extracted should the need for identification of a casualty arise. 

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