Medical ailments can be particularly difficult to live with, especially if they are genetic illnesses that are given to a baby from both mother and father. Tay-Sachs is a disease that essentially provides children with defective genes at birth and only occurs when a baby has 2 parents, each with 1 Tay-Sachs gene. The symptoms of the disease will vary from one person to another, but in general it can be an incredibly difficult and degenerative disease that will negatively impact the life of your child. Below is some information pertaining to Tay-Sachs and the statistics associated with this harmful medical condition.
Facts About Tay-Sachs Disease
In order for a baby to be affected by Tay-Sachs, each parent will need to have a defective gene that they pass on to the child. Although individual parents may assume that they do not carry the gene, carriers are not affected by the same symptoms as the person that they transmit the disease to. If a person is born with only one Tay-Sachs gene, they will remain healthy and show no signs of nervous system damage. In the event that a baby has two parents with the Tay-Sachs gene, there is a 25% chance that each baby produced by the couple will have Tay-Sachs. It is also important to note that if two parents are carriers of the gene, there is also a 50% chance that every time the couple is pregnant, they will produce a baby who is also a carrier.
There is also the probability that one parent may be a carrier and the other parent may not be. In the event of this occurrence, there is a 0% chance that the baby will develop Tay-Sachs and the nervous system damage that occurs alongside the disease. In regards to the two parents developing a carrier, there is also a 50% chance of giving birth to a child who is a carrier, even if only one parent has the Tay-Sachs gene.
Individuals at Risk
Much like with other medical conditions, there are certain demographics that are more likely to be affected by the disease than others. With that being said, the following groups of individuals should consider getting tested for Tay-Sachs prior to conceiving a child.
• Eastern European Jewish Families (1 in 27 individuals are carriers)
• Sephardic Jewish Families (1 in 250 individuals are carriers)
• French-Canadian and Louisiana Cajun Families (1 in 27 individuals are carriers)
• Irish Families (1 in 50 individuals are carriers)
Even if you do not fall into one of the above categories that are generally at-risk for transmitting the disease to their children, it is important that couples get tested for a variety of different genetic diseases to ensure that the lives of their children are protected. It is also advised that any individuals who are blood-related to people in the aforementioned demographics receive testing as well to determine whether they are carriers. The process is relatively simple as all it takes is a short blood test.
Tay-Sachs is an incredibly difficult disease to have your child live through and therefore it is advised that each parent determines whether they are a carrier of the disease. To ensure that the safety and security of your child is sufficiently maintained throughout its entire life, determine whether you are at-risk for carrying the disease. Unfortunately it is one of the many medical conditions that are incredibly detrimental and equally as common.
What is Tay-Sachs?
As previously mentioned, this particular disease is a degenerative disease transferred to a baby by both its mother and its father. The reason as to why the body responds so negatively to the disease is due to the fact that it lacks an imperative enzyme that our body needs. The Hexosaminidase A (Hex-A) enzyme is necessary to ensure that our body can sufficiently break down any waste that is found in brain cells. Without the help of this enzyme, an abnormal amount of fat accumulates in the brain, causing an ample amount of damage until the nervous system shuts down.
Does My Baby Have Tay-Sachs?
Unlike other medical conditions, it is essentially impossible to visually determine if your baby has Tay-Sachs. Over time, the disease will begin to take its toll on the child, generally within a few months of birth. The majority of children who begin to develop the symptoms associated with the disease begin to show signs by 6 months. Considering that this medical condition is a degenerative disease, the quality of life that your child will have will be quite diminished. Children affected by the disease show the following symptoms as it progresses:
• Loss of motor skills.
• Inability to mentally function.
• Blindness.
• Deafness.
• Mental retardation.
• Paralysis.
• Non-responsive actions.
After these symptoms are present, the nervous system will begin to incur damage, eventually leading to death.