Community screening for Tay-Sachs disease.

Tay-Sachs disease is a fatal genetic disease affecting Jewish infants of eastern European ancestry. While the disease may go unrecognized until nearly one year of age, death occurs by age three or four. Community screening programs have been organized to detect carriers of this autosomal recessive trait. Prenatal diagnosis now allows carrier couples to have normal children without the risk of having an affected child. These programs hopefully will serve as models for the future prevention of other genetic diseases.