Tay-Sachs Disease
By Cecilia McClain
What is Tay-Sachs Disease?
It is a genetic trait.
A child can only get Tay-Sachs disease if both of its' parents carry the trait. There is a 25% chance that the child will get the disease if both parents have the trait. There is a 50% chance that the child will be a carrier but not have it, and a 25% chance they will not be a carrier or have the disease at all. (website1)
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A Child Born With Tay-Sachs (website 5)
Prenatal Testing
Between the 15th and 18th weeks of pregnancy, the mother can have an amniocentesis to test for the Tay-Sachs gene.Between the 10th and 12th weeks of pregnancy the mother can get a chorionic villus sampling. Both take samples from the womb. (website1)
What Are The Symptoms?
Is There A Cure For Tay-Sachs?
Sadly, there is no cure for Tay-Sachs. However there are many things a family can do to support a child that has the disease. Doctors may prescribe medicine to prevent seizures that are common. Respiratory care such as breathing tubes are very important to childen with the disease because they may not be able to breathe on their own. Feeding tubes are put in place to make sure the child gets the nutrients it needs because it can't eat on its own. Many children go to physical therapy to help with their physical disabilities, doing activities that require their body to move or grasp things. The most important care a child suffering from the disease needs is strong family support and love. (website1)
Cites Used
http://kidshealth.org (website1)
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/HEXA (website2)
http://www.ntsad.org/index.php/tay-sachs (website3)
http://mayoclinic.org/tay-sachs-disease/treatment.html (website4)
http://wikipedia.com (website5)