Infections or prolonged fasting, however, can lead to drowsiness and coma or sudden death. This can be prevented by avoiding fasting and maintaining a regular intake of sugar during infections - by mouth or intravenously if the child vomits. With this simple management, outcomes are excellent. Patients with other fatty acid oxidation disorders also need to avoid fasting and to maintain a regular sugar intake during infections. Unfortunately, they can have additional problems, such as muscle problems or heart muscle disease.
Treatment usually involves a low fat diet.
Inheritance patterns All these disorders show autosomal recessive inheritance Pre-natal diagnosis Prenatal diagnosis is available for these disorders. Contact a Family is a UK charity which helps families who care for children with any disability or special need. We are a main source of information about rare disorders and are able to assist affected adults as well as children. The CaF Directory Online contains details of many medical conditions and also patient support groups. The information in it is also provided as part of the NHS Direct Online service.