Tay-Sachs+disease+information

Tay-Sachs:

- Tay-Sachs is an autosomal recessive disease. Autosmoal means non-sex linked chromosome. Recessive means that if a dominant trait is present, the disease will not manifest in the carrier. - This means that if both parents of a child are carriers with the mutated (abnormal) gene, the child can inherit both copies of that defective gene, one from each parent. - The child will then express the disease by having symptoms.

Diagram:

If only one parent carries the defective gene, there is a 50 % chance that the child will get the defective gene and be a carrier. There is a 50% chance that the child will not receive the defective gene.

If both parents are carriers of the defective gene, there is a 25% chance that the child will get Tay-Sachs, a 50% chance the child will be a carrier, and a 25% that the child will be normal.

Go to the doctors to check if you and your spouse are carriers of this mutated gene. This way you will be able to know the chances of your child getting Tay-Sachs recessive disorder.

-Susie