Abstract

Tay-Sachs disease is a fatal inherited disease of the central nervous system. The most common form of the disease affects babies. Affected babies appear healthy at birth and seem to develop normally for the first few months of life. After this time, development slows and symptoms begin. Sadly, there is no effective treatment for these babies. Babies with Tay-Sachs lack an enzyme (protein) called hexosaminidase A (hex A) necessary for breaking down certain fatty substances in brain and nerve cells. These substances build up and gradually destroy brain and nerve cells, until the entire central nervous system stops working. Symptoms of classical Tay-Sachs disease first appear at 4 to 6 months of age when an apparently healthy baby gradually stops smiling, crawling or turning over, loses its ability to grasp or reach out and, eventually, becomes blind, paralyzed and unaware of its surroundings. Death occurs by age 5.

Who Is at Risk of Tay-Sachs Disease?

Tay-Sachs......

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Title: Tay Sachs
Approximate Word Count: 1177
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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