Dietary control is absolutely necessary for normal brain development. Once the brain is fully developed, some specialists will also the child to relax the dietary restrictions after age 6 years. However, older patients who eat excessive amounts of phenylalanine will report decreased ability to concentrate and a decline in school performance if the diet is abandoned. For children with other types of PKU, dietary control alone is usually not successful and other therapies must be tried. The geneticist can also counsel the parents on the risk of having another child with the disease as well.
Development is tracked closely as are blood levels of phenylalanine.
Of special note is that pregnant women who have the disease must return to a low phenylalanine diet before and during pregnancy to prevent complications to the unborn child. If a woman with PKU does not control her diet beginning before conception, she has an increased risk of spontaneous abortion. A greater understanding and awareness of these tests and disorders will help to prevent unnecessary complications since most can be effectively treated when caught early. Includes comprehensive info and links to other sites that describe the illnesses included in most newborn screen programs. All rights reserved.