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Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

Albinism generally can't be prevented. It often occurs in families who have no history of the disorder. However, in cases where parents suspect that they may be carriers because of a family history, genetic testing may help identify whether or not both parents carry a certain genetic mutation that could cause albinism in their children. In addition, if both parents know they are carriers, prenatal tests can be done to determine if a fetus has inherited the mutations that can cause albinism.

A genetic counselor can help you understand your chances of having a child with albinism. He or she can also explain the available tests and help you figure out the pros and cons of testing for you.

Coping and support
References
  1. Hornyak TJ. Albinism and other genetic disorders of pigmentation. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2959771. Accessed Feb. 21, 2011.
  2. Albinism. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/sec10/ch123/ch123b.html. Accessed Feb. 19, 2011.
  3. Gronskov K, et al. Oculocutaneous albinism. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2007;2:43.
  4. What is albinism? National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH). http://www.albinism.org/publications/2010/What_is_Albinism.pdf. Accessed Feb. 19, 2011.
  5. Summers CG. Albinism: Classification, clinical characteristics, and recent findings. Optometry and Vision Science. 2009;86:659.
  6. Oculocutaneous albinism. Genetics Home Reference. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/oculocutaneous-albinism/show/print. Accessed Feb. 21, 2011.
DS00941 April 2, 2011

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