In a news that is sure to be music to the ears of all expectant mothers, a research team in Ottawa has discovered a way to treat the number one genetic cause of all infant fatalities, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

According to the study conducted by the research team of Rashmi Kothary and doctoral student Melissa Bowerman and published in the Human Molecular Genetics, it has been found that by controlling a specific enzyme in the cells of mice, the effects of spinal muscular atrophy could be reduced to a great extent increasing longevity in the process.

The effects of SMA, a terminal degenerative genetic disease often called Gehrig's disease of babies, set in and kill most infants by the time they reach their second birthdays. Those that survive to adulthood are crippled by various physical disabilities.

However, experts warn that that screening all pregnant women for the rare though fatal disease is not economically viable. The cost of each case of SMA prevented by prenatal screening has been estimated at $5 million by a new study.