Albinism Is World Wide

The bitter truth about albinism and why it affects people from all races.

Albinism affect people from all races; black, white, Asian every race has their own persons with albinism.

HOW DOES A PERSON GET ALBINISM?

Every person with albinism (PWA) inherited the condition from both parents- mother and father, .Both parents of a PWA, whether they have albinism or not, must carry the genetic trail of Albinism before a child with Albinism can be born.

-When both parents carry the albinism trait (and neither parent has albinism there is one in four chances (or 25 percent) at each pregnancy that the baby will be born with albinism.

- Normal pigmented children born to such parents might also carry the genetic train to albinism. Such children may in turn, pass the train to their own children.

WHY DO PWAs HAVE A "WHITE" APPEARANCE?

-Most children with albinism are born to parents with normal hair and eye color for their ethnic background4.

-A PWA is unable to produce the usual amounts of pigment in their eyes or skin, or hair or in all of the above.

TYPES OF ALBINISM

- Albinism only affecting the eyes. This is called Ocular albinism (OA), and is much less common. Most cases are recorded in males. Children with (OA) may have skin and hair color that are normal but slightly lighter than those of other family members.

- Albinism affecting the skin, hair and eyes.  This is known as OCA or Oculocutaneous (pronounced ock-you-low-kew-TAIN-ee-us) albinism. This is the most visible form of albinism in Tanzania.

-Using DNA research, 4 forms of OCA is now recognized - OCA1, OCA2, OCA3 and OCA4; some of the are further divided into subtypes. In each category and sub-category of ACA, the degree of color/ melanin apparent in the individual varies.

- Albinism plus: Researchers have also identified a type of albinism that comes with addition characteristics. One of these is known as Herman sky Puddle Syndrome (HPS). In addition to albinism, HPS is associated with bleeding problems and bruising. Some forms are also associate with lug and bowel disease. PHS is a less common form of albinism but should be suspected if a person with albinism shows unusual bruising or bleeding.