Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Newborn Screening Test Debate
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Mark Sewards
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Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Newborn Screening Test
Mark Sewards Excerpts(1 month, 1 week ago)
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Lewis Atkinson
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right and I will come on to talk about screening in just a minute.
Mark Sewards (Leeds South West and Morley) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under you, Mr Mundell. My hon. Friend is talking about lifesaving treatments. One of my constituents has a niece who was born with SMA type 1 and previously would have been at risk of dying. My constituent was told that her niece was unlikely to live past the age of two, but because of the advances in treatment that my hon. Friend has just spoken about, she has just celebrated her ninth birthday. However, she did have to be fed through a stomach pump. Does my hon. Friend agree that for £3.1 million we can get full coverage across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and ensure that all babies are tested, so that those with SMA can be treated as early as possible?
Lewis Atkinson
I agree with my hon. Friend, though I think the issue is not mainly financial; I will come on to that in a minute.
As other Members have said, the key point is that treatments are dramatically more effective the earlier they are given: before symptoms appear and before irreversible damage is done. Once motor neurones are lost they do not come back.