14.03.2025 18:41
Marriages between relatives in the Çukurova and Eastern Mediterranean regions are triggering births of babies with SMA. Specialist Dr. Serhan Seyrek stated that couples planning to marry in Adana, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Osmaniye, Mersin, and Kilis must undergo SMA testing.
Within the scope of the Ministry of Health's National Pre-Marital SMA Carrier Screening Program, a Regional SMA Screening Laboratory has been established at Seyhan State Hospital, which is affiliated with the Adana Provincial Health Directorate's Public Health Services Department, to prevent SMA disease. The laboratory, which provides free services not only to Adana but also to Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Osmaniye, Mersin, and Kilis, was inaugurated on December 30, and by February 1, 3,088 samples had been tested.
"WE CAN MANAGE THE PRENATAL PROCESSES OF BABIES TO BE BORN WITH SMA"
In a statement to İhlas News Agency regarding the issue, Provincial Health Director Uzm. Dr. Halil Nacar said, "Our ministry has significant services in the treatment, diagnosis, and rehabilitation processes related to SMA disease. One of these, and the most recent, is the SMA diagnostic laboratory we opened at Seyhan State Hospital. Newly married couples, couples without children, or women who have not reached the 3rd month of pregnancy can apply to this laboratory. Initially, we take blood from men, and if there is no carrier gene, we exclude them from the screening. We say you have no problems related to SMA. However, if the man is a carrier of SMA, we then take blood from the woman as well. If both are found to be carriers, we provide genetic counseling services to these couples. Thus, we can manage the prenatal processes of babies that will be born with SMA," he said.
"WE WILL REDUCE THE EXCEPTION OF BIRTHS WITH SMA"
Uzm. Dr. Nacar pointed out that with the widespread testing conducted under the Regional SMA Screening Laboratory and the Ministry of Health's National Pre-Marital SMA Carrier Screening Program, there will come a time when SMA babies will no longer be born. "We provide genetic counseling services to individuals identified as SMA carriers and then refer those couples to our ministry's centers. In those centers, we work to ensure that the babies to be born to the couples do not carry the SMA gene and are healthy. After a while, when we have widespread SMA screening in our society, we will reduce the exception of births with SMA. When we achieve this, we will have prevented many problematic processes related to the care and treatment of these babies. Thus, the number of SMA babies in our society will decrease, and families will have healthier babies without carrier or hereditary diseases. This will, of course, be a significant gain for us," he stated.
"WE PROVIDE RESULTS WITHIN 3 DAYS"
Uzm. Dr. Serhan Seyrek, the General Laboratory Supervisor at Seyhan State Hospital, emphasized that the results are available 3 days after the samples arrive at the laboratory, stating, "This laboratory is the first to be opened in Turkey after the central laboratory in Ankara. We conduct screenings for 6 provinces in this laboratory. We are screening the 6 provinces from Mersin to Kilis. We are trying to provide faster results. In one month, we processed 3,088 samples. Suspicious samples are reported to Family Health Centers, and we receive feedback. We provide results within 3 days. Previously, samples from 81 provinces went to the central laboratory in Ankara, and the result times were longer, but we have reduced this to 3 days," he said.
"COUPLES GETTING MARRIED IN THIS REGION SHOULD HAVE THIS TEST DONE"
Uzm. Dr. Seyrek pointed out that there are many cousin marriages in the Çukurova and Eastern Mediterranean regions, which is why more children with SMA are born, stating, "We provide services to Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Osmaniye, Mersin, and Kilis, in addition to Adana. There are many cousin marriages in these 6 provinces. The SMA results here are above the national average. Couples getting married in this region should have this test done," he concluded.