New hope in ‘floppy baby’ treatment

Scientists have made a breakthrough in developing treatment for the most common genetic cause of death in children.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that infants suffering from a form of motor neurone disease could benefit from drugs that could improve their muscle strength.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), also known as floppy baby syndrome, targets the body’s nerve cells, causing patients to have little or no control over their movements.