[Genetic counseling and sickle cell anemia].

In sickle cell anaemia genetic counselling benefits from the easy diagnosis and, as early as the foetal stage, from the heterozygosity (AS) and the major syndromes. Its main objective is to inform as many as possible of the subjects concerned and in particular couples with genetic risk. Counselling gives them all the elements they require to decide freely about their offsprings. It is part of the management of sickle cell anaemia patients and is often associated with the neonatal diagnosis. The ever increasing number of justified requests for a prenatal diagnosis and the early time of these requests during pregnancy show that the information has really been transmitted. Actions remain to be developed in certain medical groups and in the populations at risk. A sickle cell anaemia centre is necessary for a better rationalization of genetic counselling.