Tay-Sachs Test

Serum Hexosaminidase A and B

Why It Is Done

A test to measure hexosaminidase A is done to:

• See whether a newborn has Tay-Sachs disease.
• Find carriers of the Tay-Sachs trait. People of Ashkenazi Jewish or French-Canadian 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 need to be tested for Tay-Sachs trait.
• See whether an unborn baby (fetus) has Tay-Sachs disease. This is done early in pregnancy by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: April 14, 2006
Medical Review:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Renee H. Martin, PhD - Medical Genetics
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