What is Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)?

 

SMA is a devastating, genetic disease. It is a leading genetic killer of infants and toddlers, with 50% of the most severely diagnosed cases resulting in death by the age of two. Children with a less severe form of SMA face the prospect of progressive muscle wasting, loss of mobility and motor function. However, their minds are unaffected - resulting in bright, intelligent children with varying degrees of physical impairment.

 

Key Facts

 

• SMA is genetic, incurable and currently untreatable

 

• It is the leading genetic killer of infants and toddlers

 

• 50% of the most severely diagnosed cases result in death by the age of two

 

• 1 in every 6,000 births is affected by SMA

 

• 1 in every 40 people is a carrier of the defective gene that causes SMA (around 1.5 million people in the UK)

 

About the SMA Trust

 

The SMA Trust is the only UK Charity that is solely dedicated to funding medical research into SMA. Funding of further research will encourage advances in the discovery of drugs to stop or slow the progression of the disease, with the ultimate goal being a cure. The SMA Trust is dedicated to finding that cure.

To find out more please visit - http://www.smatrust.org/

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