Eric is a 5-month-old baby boy who exhibits signs of loss of muscle function. He has stopped meeting developmental milestones and has lost the ability to do things he could previously do (such as sitting up on his own). He has developed an increased startle response and is less visually attentive. His parents scheduled an appointment with their pediatrician to discuss the symptoms. In taking the patient's history, one of the most revealing pieces of information that the doctor collected was that the family is of Jewish descent

It is possible that Eric has the Tay-Sachs disease

Explanation:

Tay-Sachs disease is a rare inherited disorder that normally appears in infants of 3 to 6 months old. The main symptoms of an infant with Tay-Sachs disorder are the loss of muscle coordination (ataxia), muscle weakness and the loss of motor skills such as, for example, sitting and crawling. The incidence of this genetic disease is higher in people of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. The Tay-Sachs disorder is caused by mutations in the HEXA gene, which encodes a lysosomal enzyme named beta-hexosaminidase A that is critical for the development of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).