View Sickle Cell Anemia Growth And Development US . Slowed growth and delayed puberty in children. Sickle cell anemia (sickle cell disease) is a blood disease that shortens life expectancy. NIH researchers create new viral vector for improved gene ... from www.nih.gov These cells do not last as long as normal, round, red blood cells, which leads to anemia (low number of red blood cells). The establishment of an in vitro model allows better understanding of. Your child's growth, development and nutrition should be checked regularly, and nutritional supplements may be given if needed. Normally, rbcs are shaped like discs, which gives them the flexibility to travel through even the smallest blood vessels. Infarctions in the spleen, kidneys, bone, cns, and other organs are common and cause progressive loss of organ function and acute and chronic pain in affected parts of the body. Sic