inheritance
- Tay-Sachs is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning that it affects both genders and requires both parents to be carriers of the faulty gene for their child to be at risk. Even if both parents are carriers, the child only has a 25% chance of getting the disease. This is illustrated in the picture below.
"Transmission of autosomal recessive traits"(NTSAD, 2011)
- Today, couples who suspect that they may be carriers are encouraged to be screened.