Status of neonatal screening for spinal muscular atrophy in Europe
  • Routine screening for SMA in place
  • Routine screening for SMA approved and scheduled to start in 2023
  • Regional or limited routine screening for SMA in place
  • Ongoing regulatory process to add SMA to routine newborn screening
  • No SMA screening / no data available
  • Ongoing academic pilot study
  • Past academic pilot study
Status of neonatal screening for spinal muscular atrophy in Europe

Progress of newborn screening for SMA in Europe

Percentage of newborns being routinely screened for SMA in Europe as of April 2023

WIDER EUROPE (includes all of Russia, all of Turkey, and South Caucasus): 65%
GEOGRAPHICAL EUROPE: 58%
EUROPEAN UNION: 53%

Screening for SMA outside of Europe

The following countries and territories screen all newborns for spinal muscular atrophy:

  • Australia: Pilot screening programme taking place in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory (combined, approx. 33% of all births in Australia)
  • Canada: Approx. 72% of newborns are screened for SMA. The disorder is included in routine screening programmes in the following provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan, as well as in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
  • Japan: Province-level pilot projects in place.
  • Qatar: All newborns are screened for SMA since approx. 2021.
  • Taiwan: A pilot project in place during 2014–2016 followed by routine screening of all newborns.
  • United States: Approx. 99% of newborns are screened for SMA. The disorder was included in the federal Uniform Recommended Screening Panel in 2019 and is currently part of neonatal screening programmes in 48 out of 50 states as well as in Washington D.C. Only Nevada and Hawaii do not screen for SMA; of them, Nevada anticipates to start screening for SMA in late summer 2023.