England to begin routine newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy
All babies in England will be offered a heel-prick test for spinal muscular atrophy, a rare inherited condition that can severely weaken muscles.
England is set to add spinal muscular atrophy to its routine newborn screening programme, meaning every baby will be tested shortly after birth. The move is intended to identify the condition early so treatment can begin sooner.
According to the BBC, the test will be done using the heel-prick blood sample already taken from newborns. Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, is a genetic disorder that affects nerve cells and can cause serious muscle weakness.
The change follows years of campaigning by families and campaigners who wanted the condition detected at birth rather than after symptoms appeared. Jesy Nelson, the singer and campaigner, described the decision as a victory.
SMA is rare, but early diagnosis can make a major difference to care and outcomes. England’s screening programme already checks newborns for a range of inherited and metabolic conditions.
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