newborn screening for SMA

[Guest guest]

I read FSMA's update on their initiative to promote newborn

screening for SMA. I have always been a bit puzzled by this push to

get SMA on the list of diseases which are automatically offered to

expecting parents. Since there is presently no treatment for SMA,

what are parents supposed to do with this information except

possibly consider abortion? Why would a SMA parent support group be

working to reduce the incidence of SMA by promoting abortion of

disabled kids? Am I the only one who noticed this?

I recall that when we were getting the ultrasound and stuff for

before she was born we were offered a screening for downs

syndrome. Of course, at that time we had no idea would be

born with SMA, but an optional screening for downs syndrome is

apparently offered by law. We opted not to have that test done

because we figured we'd just deal with whatever came along. A

couple years later, I remember reading somewhere that the incidence

of people with downs syndrome has dramatically declined since 1980

due to newborn screening. This was hailed as a triumph of modern

science.

Do I understand this right? Does FSMA want to reduce SMA by making

sure fewer kids with SMA even get to be born? I am not necessarily

an anti-abortion person, but does anyone else find this rather

macabre?

Why aren't the people from " Not Dead Yet " out protesting this?

Just wondering,