Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare, progressive, inherited monogenic disease characterised by lower motor neurone degeneration, muscle weakness, and breathing and swallowing difficulties.
SMA represents a continuum or spectrum of disease and is typically classified into four types (types 1 to 4) that can range in severity and age of onset. In SMA, the most severe and common form, most lower motor neuron degeneration occurs in the first few months of life causing rapid and irreversible damage – SMA is the focus of our iHV Good Practice Points resource.
iHV Resources
📃 Good Practice Points and Parent Tips
Developed in collaboration with topic experts, health visitors, and other professionals, our resources draw on the latest available evidence at the time of publication. Each resource is produced through a robust quality assurance process and peer reviewed to ensure accuracy, relevance, and strong alignment with health visiting practice.
🔎 iHV LEARN Programmes (free to access for iHV members):
We offer a range of e-learning and toolkits to support your practice via our learning platform iHV LEARN. Additional resources are available within courses for those who have completed the corresponding training programme.
This Toolkit has been designed by leading experts to equip health visiting practitioners in the promotion and assessment of motor development with a range of short videos and resources to support the early identification of atypical motor development/‘red flags’.
Motor Development Programme
🏷️ Cost: From £240
🕒 Duration: 5 Hours
👥 Suitable for: Health Visitors and Skill Mix
