Most people would be willing to pay to test their newborn baby for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) even if no direct treatment is available for the disease, according to a study published in the journal Pediatric Neurology.
Newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is now available to all babies born in Canada. The milestone announcement from Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC) means babies will be tested weeks after birth for SMA to allow prompt access to treatment, before symptoms appear and irreversible damage occurs, increasing…
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has announced that spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is now among the list of disorders being routinely screened in newborns. Testing infants for the disorder began on Feb. 14, the ADPH stated in a press release.  SMA was added to the state’s newborn…
Screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading genetic cause of infant death, is now available to 87% of all babies born in the United States, according to Cure SMA. The milestone was reached after Arizona and Louisiana began testing newborns for SMA this year, raising the number…
To better understand and address barriers to the implementation of newborn screening across Canada for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC) has awarded more than $700,000 to projects in three provinces. This is the first round of awards to come from a collaboration between MDC…
Newborn screening can aid in the early diagnosis and prompt treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which can lead to better clinical outcomes, according to a German study. “We strongly recommend that newborn screening for SMA ought to become universal in countries that provide SMA-specific medication,” the study’s researchers…
Eighteen states are now screening newborns for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the most recent neuromuscular disease added to a list of serious genetic disorders that infants can be tested for shortly after birth, advocacy officers at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) said. California, the most populous state…
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has been added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) for newborns in the United States, opening the door to newborn screening for SMA at the state level, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) reports on its website. The decision adding SMA to recommended screenings…
The majority of people that completed a U.K. survey support the idea of newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), according to a report published in the journal Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine. With Spinraza (nusinersen) now available as an SMA treatment option, people in favor of screening believe…
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a step closer to being on a list of diseases that the U.S. government recommends newborns be screened for. Although making the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel list will constitute a powerful statement of support for SMA screening, decisions about what diseases newborns are checked for are…