PKU

What are the symptoms of this disorder?



-Seizures



-Delayed development



-Behavioral problems



-Pschiatric disorders



-Eczema like rash



-Mousy like smell



-Musty



-Microcephaly (small head)



How do you get it?



-You get it from your parents. There must be one gene from both parents for you to get the disease.



When does the disorder start to show?



-The disorder starts to show any time between birth and 6 months.



Does the environment affect it?



- No, the environment does not affect PKU. The environment can not cause your phenylalanine gene to mutate.


Any tests that can be taken?

-You can take a Chorionic Villus Sampling test to see if your baby has PKu before it is born.

-There is a test taken maybe 2 or 3 days after the baby is born.



Facts:

-PKU affects about 1 in every 10,000 to 15,000 newborns.

-PKU affects the brain and the nervous system, which causes mental retardation.

Websites:

-http://www.medhelp.org/lib/pku.htm

-http://children.webmd.com/phenylketonuria-pku-test

-http://www.pkunews.org/ (Foundation Site)

QUIZ!!!

1. Is PKU recessive, dominant, or sex linked?

2. Does PKU affect the brain?

3. Out of how many kids does PKU affect?

4. Name one of the symptoms.

5. What is a test you can take to see if your newborn child has PKU?