Health Information
Tay-Sachs Test
Why It Is Done
A test to measure hexosaminidase A is done to:
- See whether a baby has Tay-Sachs disease.
- Find Tay-Sachs Reference carriers Opens New Window. People of Ashkenazi Jewish, French-Canadian, or Cajun descent who have a Reference family history Opens New Window 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 (Reference fetus Opens New Window) has Tay-Sachs disease. This is done early in pregnancy by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference September 6, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Reference Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
Reference Siobhan M. Dolan, MD, MPH - Reproductive Genetics |
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