Are there any treatments for phenylketonuria?

PKU medication The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the drug sapropterin (Kuvan) for the treatment of PKU. It works by increasing your tolerance to phenylalanine. The drug is for use in combination with a PKU diet.

Does phenylketonuria go away?

There is no cure for PKU, but treatment can prevent intellectual disabilities and other health problems. A person with PKU should receive treatment at a medical center that specializes in the disorder.

Does phenylketonuria require lifelong treatment?

Patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) should continue to adhere to a special diet throughout life rather than abandon it after childhood, a consensus panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) concluded last month.

How can PKU be prevented?

Prevention

1. Follow a low-phenylalanine diet. Women with PKU can prevent birth defects by sticking to or returning to a low-phenylalanine diet before becoming pregnant.
2. Consider genetic counseling.

What is phenylketonuria diet?

Diet. The main treatment for PKU is a low-protein diet that completely avoids high-protein foods (such as meat, eggs and dairy products) and controls the intake of many other foods, such as potatoes and cereals.

Can PKU babies breastfeed?

In the early 1980s, with the determination of low concentration of Phe in breast milk, breast milk supplemented with Phe-free formula has become an acceptable dietary treatment for infants with PKU. Today, breastfeeding is encouraged and well established in PKU patients.

How do you lower phenylalanine?

The most effective treatment is restriction of phenylalanine in diet provided through different strategies including combination of low-protein foods, hydrolyzing of protein-rich foods, or use of protein substitutes.

How does phenylalanine cause brain damage?

A dangerous buildup of phenylalanine can develop when a person with PKU eats protein-rich foods, such as milk, cheese, nuts or meat, and even grains such as bread and pasta, or eats aspartame, an artificial sweetener. This buildup of phenylalanine results in damage to nerve cells in the brain.

What are the dangers of phenylalanine?

Phenylalanine can cause intellectual disabilities, brain damage, seizures and other problems in people with PKU . Phenylalanine occurs naturally in many protein-rich foods, such as milk, eggs and meat. Phenylalanine is also sold as a dietary supplement.