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Causes of Albinism

 Albinism is related to genetic defects. These defects prevent the body from producing or distributing melanin and imparting color to hair, skin, and eyes. In type 1 albinism, the genetic defects affect the production of melanin while in type 2 albinism, an inherited defect in the ‘P’ gene gives rise to the condition. Albinism is therefore inherited but in some cases, a person may merely be the carrier of the defective gene and does not suffer from albinism.

The following people fall in the high-risk category for developing albinism:

• People who have parents with albinism
• People who have family members with albinism
• People with parents who are carriers of the defective gene causing albinism but do not suffer from albinism themselves
• Puerto Rican people are more susceptible to developing Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome