The Chamber of Deputies today advanced in committee with the draft of a bill to include Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in the neonatal screening of the National Program for the Prevention of Disabilities in Newborns. The initiative was approved in the Disability Committee, chaired by Daniel Arroyo, with the aim of sanctioning this initiative, which was already passed by the National Senate, before the end of November. The project amends Law 26679, which regulates the detection and subsequent treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in newborns. It is a free and mandatory study performed using a blood sample taken from the newborn's heel. Arroyo stated that this law 'enables many children to have life, as well as quality of life'. Subsequently, on social media X, Arroyo posted: 'Major step in the Disability Committee. Today we achieved a unanimous opinion to include Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in neonatal screening. Ensuring early detection saves lives'. For his part, the deputy from the Federal Encounter, Esteban Paulón, said that 'We seek to establish a regulatory framework for the protection, promotion, and guarantee of rights'.
