Girls and Adolescents with Blood Disorders and Sickle Cell Disease (GABS) Clinic

About our Program

The Girls and Adolescents with Blood Disorders and Sickle Cell Disease (GABS) Clinic at Children’s Hospital New Orleans is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of girls and adolescents facing health challenges such as heavy menstrual periods, bleeding and clotting disorders, anemia and sickle cell disease.

At GABS, our collaborative and multidisciplinary team is comprised of specialized hematologists, adolescent medicine, gynecologists and nurses. Other members of our team who are available for consultation include our genetic counselors, psychologists, nutritionists, Child Life specialists and social services. Together, we adopt a coordinated approach to provide diagnosis, treatment, and long-term health management for patients dealing with heavy menstrual periods and blood disorders. By bringing together all the necessary specialists in one clinic, we streamline care to ensure our patients receive the most comprehensive evaluation and treatment possible.

If your child is experiencing heavy menstrual periods, anemia linked to menstrual flow, has an underlying bleeding or clotting disorder or sickle cell disease, our team can address your health concerns and provide the evaluation and treatment needed for your child’s condition. As part of your child’s clinic visit, the members of our team will advise you about diagnostic testing and imaging studies that may be conducted to prepare your child's individualized treatment plan.

What Makes Us Different?

The GABS Clinic at Children’s Hospital New Orleans is the only program in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region that provides comprehensive care, treatment, and support for the unique healthcare needs of girls and adolescents with blood disorders. The multidisciplinary team of experts focuses on providing treatments to offer relief, along with education, for a variety of blood disorders, while also considering the individual sexual and reproductive health needs of their patients.

In close collaboration with the LSU Department of Gynecology, complex gynecological findings are promptly evaluated and treated accordingly. Through the affiliation with the Foundation for Women & Girls with Blood Disorders (FWGBD), the team actively advocates for girls and adolescents with specific reproductive health concerns related to their complicated blood disorders. We also offer our patients the opportunity to participate in clinical research. You can consult with your care team to see which studies might be available for your child.