Scotland Announces SMA Newborn Screening, Jesy Nelson Reacts

Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson expressed mixed emotions on Monday after Scotland announced it will become the first part of the United Kingdom to screen newborns for spinal muscular atrophy, the rare genetic condition affecting her 10-month-old twin daughters.

Nelson, 34, shared her reaction on Instagram, describing the development as "bittersweet." Her daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster, were born prematurely in May 2024 to Nelson and her then-fiancé, Zion Foster. The twins received their diagnosis of SMA Type 1, the most severe form of the disease, in January 2025 following months of medical evaluations prompted by concerns over their limited movement.

Spinal muscular atrophy is a neuromuscular disorder caused by a mutation in the SMN1 gene, leading to progressive muscle weakness, breathing and swallowing difficulties, and potential mobility loss. Without early intervention, infants with Type 1 typically do not survive beyond two years. According to experts at Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK, the condition affects about one in 10,000 to 14,000 births annually in the UK and is inherited when both parents carry the faulty gene, giving affected children a...