2ND YEAR OF SMA CARRIER SCREENING PROGRAM

In our country, where there are approximately 3000 SMA patients, an average of one in every 50 people is an SMA carrier. It is very important that existing patients benefit from all treatments free of charge, as well as increasing awareness of SMA in society. The way to reduce the incidence of SMA is through the carrier screening test.
The carrier screening test is applied free of charge in our country by the Ministry of Health. In our country, SMA screening was included in the Newborn Screening Program in May 2022 so that patients can be diagnosed at an early stage and their treatments can be started. More than 1 million 100 thousand people have been screened so far within the scope of the SMA carrier Screening Program. It is possible to take the first step towards a healthy future with just one tube of blood by going to your family doctor before having a baby. In the case of marriage between two carriers, couples can have a healthy baby with PGD, a type of in vitro fertilization method, by receiving genetic counseling before planning pregnancy.