Tay-Sachs Test: Why It Is Done
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Why It Is Done
A test to measure hexosaminidase A is done to:
- See whether a newborn has Tay-Sachs disease.
- Find Tay-Sachs carriers. People of Ashkenazi Jewish, French-Canadian, or Cajun descent who have a family history of Tay-Sachs disease or who live in a community or population with a high amount of Tay-Sachs disease may want to be tested.
- See whether an unborn baby (fetus) has Tay-Sachs disease. This is done early in pregnancy by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.
| Last updated: | March 31, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Reviewed By: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Siobhan M. Dolan, MD, MPH - Reproductive Genetics |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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