Albinism (OCA2) The albino disorder.

What is it? Albinism is a genetic disorder in which the body can’t produce or distribute the natural chemical in the body called melanin. Melanin gives pigment to skin and hair and the iris of your eyes, and helps protect your skin from the sun.

Chromosome graphic

Symptoms/effects Lack of color in the skin, hair, and the iris of the eye. Other symptoms that do not always occur are… Light sensitivity, crossed eyes, rapid eye movements, and vision problems or possibly blindness.

Diagnosis One can be diagnosed on the obvious discoloration of hair and skin or can be genetically tested for a more accurate result. Kind of obvious huh?

Prognosis General people with Albinism have a normal life span a factor that might effect a person with albinisms life span is skin cancer.

Treatment There is no cure for albinism but one can only lesson the symptoms mainly visual rehabilitation for there eyes such as glasses and eye surgery, and sun screen to avoid skin cancer for there sensitive skin.

Current research Visual function and ocular pigmentation in albinism research which has been completed.

Genetic counseling Genetic counseling is suggested

2 nd graphic Might be the same picture I don’t know.

ONE GREAT STORY How cool would an American Girl doll with albinism be? One Massachusetts family is trying to find out. Roy would like to have a customized doll just like her sisters do, but because she has albinism, that's going to involve a little more than selecting from the usual hair and eye color choices. Her sisters have started a letter-writing campaign to get the American Girl company to create a doll for Kalli and others like her -- a doll that could also send the message that kids with albinism are just kids, not some evil character from a movie.

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