HOW IS TAY SACHS DISEASE PASSED ON?
The pattern of inheritance for Tay Sachs Disease is autosomal recessive. A person who inherits one faulty gene for Tay Sachs will be a carrier. Carriers are usually unaffected but can pass the faulty gene onto any children they may have. If one or both parents is a carrier, there is a 50% (1 in 2) chance that each child of theirs will also be a carrier. A child who inherits two copies of the faulty gene (one from each parent) will have Tay Sachs Disease. If both parents are carriers, there is a 25% (1 in 4) chance of this happening. A CHILD WITH TAY SACHS DISEASE MAY BE AFFECTED IN SOME, OR ALL, OF THE FOLLOWING : • A baby with Tay Sachs seems to develop normally until about six months old although infantile form will start to show during the first three to five months. Development may be seen to slow down, the baby begins to lose his/her sight, and becomes hypersensitive to sound so that any sudden noise or movement makes him/her jump. • At about a year, the baby starts to have convul
