# Signs and Symptoms of Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Keywords: spinal muscular atrophy, SMA, muscle weakness, genetic disease, motor milestones, infant-onset, intermediate, juvenile-onset, motor delays

> This page provides an overview of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic neuromuscular disease affecting infants and children. It discusses symptoms, developmental milestones, types of SMA, and their characteristics.

## Details
- [Spinal muscular atrophy in infants and children](#): SMA is a rare genetic neuromuscular disease that causes progressive muscle weakness, impacting activities such as crawling, walking, and breathing.
- [SMA affects every child differently](#): Symptoms include muscle weakness, floppiness, and atrophy, with variations in severity and type based on age of onset.
- [Missing certain milestones may be the first sign of SMA](#): Parents often notice delays in physical milestones like sitting up or rolling over, which may indicate SMA.
- [Motor milestone guidelines](#): Provides WHO criteria for assessing motor milestones such as sitting, crawling, and walking.
- [Characteristics of SMA in infants and children](#): Discusses developmental milestones, highest motor achievements, life expectancy, and specific SMA types like Type 1 (Werdnig-Hoffmann disease).
- [Parents’ observations](#): Highlights the importance of parents sharing their observations of motor delays with doctors to determine care strategies.