The resulting color of skin, hair and eyes also varies by and within types. OCA causes decreased pigment in the skin, hair and eyes, as well as vision problems. OCA is the result of a change in one of eight genes, labeled from OCA1 to OCA8. This is called autosomal recessive inheritance. Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), the most common type, means a person gets two copies of a changed gene - one from each parent.Types of albinism are grouped based on how they're passed down in families and on the gene that is affected. The gene change may result in no melanin at all or a big decrease in the amount of melanin. Different types of albinism can occur, based mainly on which gene change caused the disorder. Melanin is made by cells called melanocytes that are found in your skin, hair and eyes.Īlbinism is caused by a change in one of these genes. Several genes give instructions for making one of several proteins involved in producing melanin. They have a 25% chance of having an affected child with two changed genes. They have a 50% chance of having an unaffected child who also is a carrier. Two carriers have a 25% chance of having an unaffected child with two unaffected genes. Their health is rarely affected because they have only one changed gene. To have an autosomal recessive disorder, you inherit two changed genes, sometimes called mutations. These symptoms may suggest rare but serious hereditary conditions that include albinism. If you observe signs of albinism in your baby, talk to your health care provider.Ĭontact your health care provider if your child with albinism experiences frequent nosebleeds, easy bruising or long-term infections. The provider will likely order an eye exam and closely follow any changes in your child's skin color and vision. Legal blindness - vision less than 20/200 - or complete blindness.Īt your child's birth, the health care provider may notice a lack of color in hair or skin that affects the eyelashes and eyebrows.Poor depth perception, which means not being able to see things in three dimensions and judge how far away an object is.This is called misrouting of the optic nerve. Nerve signals from the retina to the brain that don't follow the usual nerve pathways in the eye.This difference results in reduced vision. Differences in the development of the thin layer of tissue on the inside back wall of the eye, called the retina.A difference in the curve of the front surface of the eye or the lens inside the eye, called astigmatism, which causes blurred vision.Extreme sensitivity to light, called photophobia.Problems seeing near objects or far objects, called farsightedness or nearsightedness.Eyes that can't look at the same direction at the same time or they appear to be crossed, a condition called strabismus.An uncommon head position or head posture, such as tilting the head to try to reduce eye movements and see better.Rapid, back-and-forth movement of the eyes that can't be controlled, called nystagmus.Vision problems are a key feature of all types of albinism. Because of this, very light-colored eyes may appear red in some lighting. This allows light to shine through the irises and makes the eyes extremely sensitive to bright light. With albinism, the colored parts of the eyes, called the irises, usually don't have enough pigment. Eye color can range from very light blue to brown and may change with age. Eye colorĮyelashes and eyebrows are often pale. Or hair may stain from contact with minerals in water and the environment, making hair appear darker with age. Hair color also may darken by early adulthood. People of African or Asian descent who have albinism may have hair color that's yellow, red or brown. Hair color can range from very white to brown. For others, melanin production may begin or increase during childhood and the teen years, resulting in slight changes in color.
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