what is it like to have tay sachs disease?

Answer 1

Infants with Tay-Sachs disease appear to develop normally for the first few months of life. Then, as nerve cells become distended with fatty material, a relentless deterioration of mental and physical abilities occurs. The child becomes blind, deaf, and unable to swallow. Muscles begin to atrophy and paralysis sets in. Other neurological symptoms include dementia, seizures, and an increased startle reflex to noise. A much rarer form of the disorder occurs in patients in their twenties and early thirties and is characterized by an unsteady gait and progressive neurological deterioration. Persons with Tay-Sachs also have "cherry-red" spots in their eyes. The incidence of Tay-Sachs is particularly high among people of Eastern European and Askhenazi Jewish descent. Patients and carriers of Tay-Sachs disease can be identified by a simple blood test that measures beta-hexosaminidase A activity. Both parents must carry the mutated gene in order to have an affected child. In these instances, there is a 25 percent chance with each pregnancy that the child will be affected with Tay-Sachs disease. Prenatal diagnosis is available if desired.

Even with the best of care, children with Tay-Sachs disease usually die by age 4, from recurring infection.

Answer 2

Most of the children die at a very early age. Do you know someone with this??
It is a condition that the growth and develpoment regresses and reverses, in a sense.
it is more common in children of Jewish decent.
I hope you and your family are not experiencing this. If you are, my heart goes out to you.
remember this though, a short lived life with a great family and lots of love is better than no life.