Parents call for nationwide screening for deadly muscle-wasting Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Oakley Gough is not the first baby to miss out on a newborn health test that could have prolonged her life, but her parents hope she will be the last.

Six-month-old Oakley was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) at eight weeks old when she lost the ability to breast or bottle feed and was fitted with a nasogastric tube.

SMA is the childhood version of Motor Neurone Disease and, over time, results in the muscles wasting away.

Babies diagnosed with SMA Type 1 (Oakley’s classification) are given a life expectancy of two years, or less than six months…