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18
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1990
I
blood test doesn't
' sound like much, but
it could prevent Tay-
Sachs disease from striking
future generations.
Chevra Dor Yeshorim, an
organization based in
Brooklyn, N.Y, designed to
prevent genetic disease, will
hold a Jan. 13 Tay-Sachs
genetic screening mainly for
Torah observant young
adults of marriageable age.
The tests will be done at
Sinai Hospital.
The blood sample, which is
shipped to New York, is
tested in strictest con-
fidence, said Reva Rivlin, a
Chevra Dor Yeshorim
screening coordinator.
Unlike at a general Tay-
Sachs screening where par-
ticipants can learn the
results within a few weeks,
individual test results are
not released.
The screening is part of a
nationwide effort to prevent
Tay-Sachs, an inherited
fatal childhood disease
commonly associated with
Jews of Central and Eastern
European (Ashkenazi) des-
cent. The likelihood that an
Ashkenazi Jew is a carrier
ranges between 1:25 to 1:30.
In the general population,
the figure is 1:300.
A child with Tay-Sachs
appears normal for the first
five or six months, said
Robin Gold, a genetics
counselor at Sinai Hospital.
Then, because the baby
lacks an enzyme for break-
ing down fats in the nerve
cells,•he begins to lose all the
abilities he had by that
point. As the fat builds up in
the nervous system, the
baby suffers seizures, goes
blind and deaf and becomes
paralyzed. There is a life ex-
pectancy of four or five
years.
If both parents are car-
riers, there is a 1:4 chance
that a child will inherit Tay-
Sachs and a 50 percent
chance a child might be a
carrier of the disease. If only
one parent is a carrier, a
child can not inherit the
disease, but could become a
carrier.
Although there is no cure
for Tay-Sachs, screenings
can prevent the birth of a
child with the disease.
While a general Tay-Sachs
screening for the entire
community will be held in
April or May, this screening
is specifically designed for
young adults seeking a mat-
ch within the Orthodox
community, Ms. Goldsaid.
Because Orthodox Ju-
daism generally does not
support abortion and pre-
natal testing, screening for
the Tay-Sachs gene has
become a pre-nuptial matter.
"When a couple find out
they may pass on the
disease, the tendency is to
recommend abortion," said
Rabbi Shaiall Zachariash of
Congregation Shomrey
Emunah, who helped estab-
lished Chevra Dor Yeshorim
in Detroit. "According to
Halachah, we can not justify
abortion in that case."
"We want people to be
aware prior to marriage
The screening is
part of a
nationwide effort
to prevent Tay-
Sachs, an inherited
fatal childhood
disease commonly
associated with
Ashkenazi Jews.
about the problem," Rabbi
Zachariash said. "When a
couple is married, Dor
Yeshorim does not want to
test them at that point.
There is no benefit of them
knowing if a child will have
the disease."
Through Chevra Dor
Yeshorim, single Orthodox
Jews who take the screening
test are assigned a number,
similar to a serial number.
When a couple is thinking
about marriage, their
numbers are submitted to
Chevra Dor Yeshorim's cen-
tral file. They will be told
whether they can marry
without fear of producing a
Tay-Sachs child.
Mrs. Rivlin knows of no
couple in Detroit who were
told they were incompatible
because of the Tay-Sachs
gene.
If one of the individuals is
a carrier, that information
will not be released, she
said. "We don't want people
to have a stigma," Mrs.
Rivlin said.
Ms. Gold says there is a
charge for the test which
will be given from noon to 3
p.m. Jan. 13. For an ap-
pointment, call Ms. Gold at
493-6060..1