protein and essential nutrients, but contain little or no phenylalanine. (McKusick) It was once thought that once a child reached the age of about 10 or 12 they could be removed from the diet. Now most experts recommend that the diet be strictly followed for the persons entire life: However it is now known that stopping the diet can result in a variety of serious problems. These include drops in IQ, learning disabilities, behavior problems such as hyperactivity and irritability, neurological problems such as tremors, eczema (a skin disorder) and personality disorders (including schizophrenia, panic attacks, and agoraphobia). (Schuett)A huge concern for women with PKU is maternal PKU. Many women who are now becoming of child bearing age have stopped their diets. They have done this because at that time when they were about 10 or 12 doctors felt it was alright to stop the diets. If they are planning to have a baby they will need to get back on the diet to reduce their phenylalanine levels. If the baby is conceived while they are still off the diet and have high phenylalanine levels it could be disastrous to the development of the child. The phenylalanine is very harmful to the fetus and many of the babies born to mothers with PKU who are off the diet have many problems. These problems include mental retardation, physical growth problems, smaller heads than usual, and heart disorders (Schuett). These problems can be avoided if the mother brings her phenylalanine level down before becoming and keeping it down during pregnancy. Another problem for children with PKU is becoming ill. When a child becomes ill their phenylalanine level rises, which can become somewhat harmful to the child. When a persons body becomes infected with an illness it needs more energy. This energy can come from extra food, or the body takes it from the protein stored in muscles. As the body breaks down the protein the phenylalanine level goes up. This...
