SMA Statistics

• SMA is the #1 genetic killer of young children.
• SMA is estimated to occur in nearly 1 out of every 6,000 births.
• 1 in every 40 people, or nearly 10 million Americans, UNKNOWINGLY carries the gene responsible for SMA. Few have any known family history.
• SMA is a pan-ethnic disease and does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, or gender.
• There is currently no treatment and no cure, but the National Institutes of Health (NIH) selected SMA as the disease closest to treatment of more than 600 neurological disorders.
• The American College of Medical Genetics recommends that SMA carrier testing be made available to ALL couples planning a family, regardless of ethnicity or family history.