Women with sickle cell

You are working on a maternity assessment unit on a hot, summer’s day when you meet Roseanne. She is in obvious pain and tells you her chest hurts.  

Roseanne’s partner informs you that she has sickle cell and presents her medical alert card. He tells you she is experiencing a 'crisis.’

She is currently 28+3 weeks pregnant with her first baby. Although she is booked for care elsewhere, she has brought herself in to the unit whilst visiting family in the area.

What do you do?

When you have completed this module you will have a deeper understanding of:

  • how to respond to a woman presenting with a sickle cell crisis
  • the maternity care needs of women with sickle cell, including possible complications
  • the service user experiences, research, campaigns and enquiries highlighting the need for better maternity care for women with sickle cell

Study time (approximate): 25 minutes

Feedback from learners:

“Very informative. Provided greater understanding of SC”

"Well organised and designed. Good science and personal experience. Moving. Usable, accessible and broken down very well."

"The content was accessible, easy to read and presented in manageable chunks. Each section was simple to navigate and separated clearly."

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Domain 4: Additional care for women and newborn infants with complications

Midwives are ideally placed to recognise any changes that may lead to complications. The midwife is responsible for immediate emergency response and first line management and in ensuring timely collaboration with and referral to interdisciplinary and multiagency colleagues. The midwife has specific responsibility for continuity and coordination of care, providing ongoing midwifery care as part of the interdisciplinary team, and acting as an advocate for women and newborn infants to ensure that they are always the focus of care.