Can congenital muscular dystrophy be prevented?

Because congenital muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder, it cannot be prevented. If you have a family history of muscular dystrophy, genetic screening may be helpful for an early diagnosis and early treatment. These genetic tests can be performed on adults, children, and even fetuses in the womb. However, DNA testing can be very expensive and is not yet available to test for all types of congenital muscular dystrophy, so diagnosis may have to wait till symptoms develop in very early childhood. Once congenital muscular dystrophy is diagnosed, treatment may help reduce symptoms of the disease.