Newborn heel prick funding welcome

AMA Queensland welcomes the announcement by the Queensland Government that it will fund heel prick tests for newborns to test for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

AMA Queensland has been calling for the $10 test for all newborns for more than a year.

“SMA is a rare but serious genetic neuromuscular disorder that affects one in 10,000 births. The earlier it is detected, the earlier we can start to treat it before symptoms develop,” AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton said.

“SMA is the childhood version of motor neurone disease and is one of the leading genetic causes of infant death worldwide. Most babies diagnosed with type 0 or 1 SMA die before the age of four years.

“Early diagnosis can lead to earlier treatment, and better outcomes for these babies and their families.

“We also need genetic counselling for families as part of any testing, and an education campaign to ensure that all parents are aware of the newborn screening tests available and the possible ramifications of delayed testing.

“AMA Queensland called for SMA tests as part of last year’s pre-budget submission. It is good to see that this request has been met, and we look forward to seeing more health investment in Tuesday’s budget.”