Watch the new C4B-produced Cure SMA video

Change for Balance is proud to work with Cure SMA, a leading nonprofit, as they work to ensure all newborns are screened for spinal muscular atrophy at birth.

Within three years of SMA being added to the federally recommended list of diseases to screen for at birth, we’re recognizing a significant milestone—85 percent of newborns in the U.S. are now screened for SMA, the leading genetic cause of infant death.

In total, 37 states now screen newborns for SMA, giving those diagnosed with SMA early access to disease-modifying, life-saving treatments that dramatically improve a child’s quality of life. It takes the crucial combination of early detection and timely administration of treatment to prevent the rapid and irreversible loss of motor function caused by the disease, and ultimately, maximize healthy outcomes.

Much of this legislative progress can be credited to the work of advocates across the country — families of children with SMA who have stepped forward and bravely shared their stories over the years, urging their legislators to take swift action so babies born today don’t have to meet the same fate as their own.

To recognize the hard work done by these advocates, C4B worked with Cure SMA to produce a brand new animated video, illustrating the progress we’ve made, with just a little more to go. Check it out here:

Change for Balance also designed a new digital “report card” for the newborn screening effort, highlighting which states are part of this tremendous progress, and in which states action is still required.