In a significant milestone for the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) community, newborns in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, DC are now eligible for routine screening for SMA beginning in January 2024, as part of the standard newborn screening panel.

“With all 50 states and DC screening for SMA, no longer will any individual born with SMA in the United States go through a diagnostic odyssey that damages their health and wellbeing,” said MDA VP of Public Policy and Advocacy Paul Melmeyer. “Instead, babies will be diagnosed within the first week of life and life-changing treatment should commence shortly thereafter. This milestone is another key step in transforming SMA from a deadly disease to a treatable, livable condition.”

This achievement is thanks to the collective effort of healthcare professionals, MDA advocates and families, and many others. We can’t thank you enough for your support.

As we know, newborn screening is essential so that every child begins receiving the right treatment and is connected with expert clinical care as soon as possible to achieve the best possible health outcomes. MDA’s Advocacy team will continue to look for ways that we can support newborn screening programs and high-quality care, and tackle ongoing challenges, such as the accessibility of healthcare.

You can learn more about SMA and MDA’s work by visiting our SMA resources page. Join us as we continue fighting to expand newborn screening: www.mda.org/advocacy.