What is Tay-Sachs Disease?

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a fatal inherited (genetic) disorder of the central nervous system. Infants with the disorder appear to develop normally for the first few months of life, then at about the age of six months of age, a deterioration of mental and physical abilities begins. The child stops smiling, crawling or turning over, loses their ability to grasp or reach out, and gradually becomes blind and paralysed.