A nurse recognizes that the most likely initial clinical finding in infants with sickle cell disease is:

A. Jaundice can occur due to hemolysis but is not usually the earliest or most specific initial finding. B. Fever may occur with infection, but it is not typically the first sign of sickle cell disease in infants. C. Swelling of the hands and feet (dactylitis) is often the earliest clinical manifestation in infants, caused by vaso-occlusion from sickled cells. D. Failure to thrive may develop later due to chronic illness but is not usually the initial finding.