NCLEX Practice Test PN Related

Review NCLEX Practice Test PN related questions and content

The mother of a boy who has recently been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia is pregnant and asks the nurse if her unborn baby will have sickle cell anemia. What information should the nurse include in the answer?

  • A. Sickle cell anemia is a contagious disease, but your child should no longer be communicable by the time the baby is born.
  • B. When both parents are carriers, there is a 25% chance that each child will have sickle cell anemia.
  • C. Your sons have a 50% chance of having sickle cell anemia, but daughters can only be carriers.
  • D. The next child should be disease free, but additional children have a chance of being born with the disease.
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Sickle cell anemia is autosomal recessive; if both parents are carriers, each child has a 25% chance of inheriting the disease, regardless of sex or birth order.