Phenylketonuria

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Phenylketonuria test

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Phenylketonuria

Alternative Names:

PKU

Prevention:

Genetic counseling is recommended for prospective parents with a family history of PKU. The carrier state for PKU can be detected by enzyme assays, and PKU can be diagnosed prenatally.

It is imperative that a woman with PKU who becomes pregnant adheres closely to the special low-phenylalanine diet, since accumulation of phenylalanine will damage the unborn baby even if the baby has not inherited the abnormality.

Review Date: 7/17/2004
Reviewed By: John Goldenring, M.D., MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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