From 2027, every newborn baby in England will be tested for spinal muscular atrophy — a serious genetic condition that weakens muscles and makes it hard to move, breathe, and swallow. It is a change that families and health campaigners have fought years to achieve, and experts say it could transform children's lives. The condition, also called SMA, damages nerve cells that control movement. Babies born with it often seem healthy at first, which means the diagnosis can come too late for some treatments to work. By adding SMA to the standard newborn screening test, doctors will be able to spot it within days of birth, giving children a much better chance at healthy development. The announcement was welcomed by groups that have pushed for wider testing. For families affected by SMA, earlier diagnosis means children can start treatment before the disease causes permanent damage. It also means parents get answers quickly instead of spending months or years worried about why their child is not meeting milestones. SMA is rare but serious — without treatment, the most severe forms can be fatal within the first two years of life. New medicines have changed that picture dramatically, but they work best when given early. The SMA breakthrough raises hopes that other genetic conditions might eventually be included in newborn screening. One condition drawing attention is Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, which affects about 100 boys born in the UK each year. DMD causes muscles to weaken over time, and children are often diagnosed only after years of uncertainty, multiple doctor visits, and parental worry. Researchers and advocacy groups, including the charity Duchenne UK, argue that adding DMD to newborn screening could spare families a painful wait and help boys access emerging treatments while they are still most effective. Dr Janet Hoskin, an associate professor at the University of East London who studies the condition, has listened to countless stories from families describing years of searching for answers. Some parents only learn their child has DMD after having a second child who is also affected. Screening newborns for DMD would give those families certainty from the start and access to specialist support much sooner. New treatments for DMD are beginning to emerge, making the case for early detection even stronger. Campaigners now hope the SMA milestone will spark a wider conversation about which conditions deserve to be part of newborn screening programmes — and how to speed up the process for conditions where treatments already exist. Every year, a small window of time slips away for children diagnosed too late. That is what this breakthrough is trying to change.