ABSTRACT
The therapeutic benefits of camel milk consumption are a supplement to routine sickle cell disease management. In maintaining hemolytic crises in sickle cell anaemia, patients were assessed during a six weeks study. Throughout the study, 20 patients were recruited for the study and divided into 4 groups, 5 patients per group. Group 2, 3 and 4 were treated with daily consumption of raw camel milk (100 ml, 50 ml + Folic acid + Paludrin and 100 ml + Folic acid + Paludrin respectively). In all groups, the foetal haemoglobin (Hb F), packed cell volume (PCV), platelet, red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) count were measured before initiation of the study and monitored at 2 weeks intervals for 6 weeks. In the group that took camel milk (50 ml in addition to Folic acid and Paludrin), there was a significant increase in WBC (8.16 ± 4.12 to 16.68 ± 3.53), a significant increase in PCV (21.28 ± 1.23 to 25.24 ± 1.11) with decrease in platelet (311.80 ± 61.93 to 260.40 ± 29.22) and significant increase in Hb F (7.06 ± 2.42 to 10.02 ± 2.41) compared to group 1 (control). However, there was no significant difference in the haematological parameters of group 2 and 4. The results implied that the consumption of camel milk in sickle cell patients resulted in an increase in foetal hemoglobin concentration which prevented crises in almost all the patients. Increase in foetal haemoglobin has been postulated to reduce hemolytic crises in sickle cell anaemia patients. Based on these findings, camel milk consumption may, therefore, be considered useful in the management of sickle cell diseases.