Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, is a genetic condition that affects the muscles due to damaged nerve cells in the spinal cord and the brain stem. It has been found out that, one out of every forty people have the gene that can be the cause of spinal muscular atrophy. If a child has two gene carriers, then there is a 25 percent possibility of them being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy from their birth.
Around 75 million people living in the country are assumed to be the gene carriers of the spinal muscular atrophy and over 25 thousand citizens are estimated to be suffering from this illness. It is approximated that at least one in every six to ten thousand kids all over the world are born with spinal muscular atrophy.
This genetic disease has various types under it that vary depending upon the symptoms. The following types of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) affect the quality of a person’s life:
1. Type 1
This type is also known as the Werdnig-Hoffmann syndrome. This is considered to be a serious disease that mostly appears by the time the child has reached the age of six months. There are children who may be born with issues related to breathing which if not treated at the right time can become fatal within a year.
2. Type 2
This type of spinal muscular atrophy starts to appear by the time the kid is six to eighteen months old. The child may learn to sit up but they wouldn’t know how to walk or stand. There are some cases wherein if no treatment is given the child may entirely lose the ability to sit. The lifespan of the child will depend upon the problems that are related to breathing. The majority of spinal muscular atrophy type 2 patients live until they turn into adolescents or become young adults.
3. Type 3
This type is also known as Kugelberg-Welander disease. This type of spinal muscle atrophy (SMA) starts becoming evident after the child has reached the age of eighteen months. The child may have contractures or scoliosis. contracture is a condition wherein the tendons and the muscles tend to shorten, which can stop the free movement of the joints. A lot of people will continue walking but they may feel an unusual gait and face problems when it comes to rising from a chair, climbing the staircase as well the difficulty in running. There is also a little tremor in the person’s fingers. The associated complications can be an increased risk of developing an infection in the respiratory system of a person. When adequate treatment is given to the patient, they will have a normal life expectancy.
4. Type 4
This is also known as adult spinal muscular atrophy which is a rare type. The onset of this type of spinal muscular atrophy is seen mostly in adults. The person diagnosed with this condition may experience severe to moderate muscle weakness and hypotonia. This is the most severe type of spinal muscular atrophy.