Hydroxyurea Therapy for Sickle Cell Disorders in Childhood: Adherence to Therapy Transforms Lives and Needs to Be the Focus - the Experience of Alder Hey Children's Hospital

Following Baby HUG trial results and other recent publications it is recommended by US evidence based guidance (NHLBI, 2014) that all children with sickle cell disorders be offered Hydroxyurea/Hydroxycarbamide (HU) therapy from 9 months. In the UK this is generally not the practice and there remains great reluctance to use HU. Only a minority of patients in the UK are offered HU therapy and many have never heard of it. There is no information at all on HU on the national UK Sickle Cell Society website.