Special Ed

PKU stands for Phenylketonuria, a rare genetic disorder which affects a persons ability to convert certain amino acids in their body.  The unconverted amino acids are toxic to the central nervous system, and result in brain damage, epilepsy and other problems.

If children with PKU are identified within the first few weeks of life, they can be placed on a special diet that eliminates proteins.  This prevents the occurence of brain damage and allows the child to develop normally.  Undiagnosed children develop severe learning difficulties.

There seems to be evidence to suggest that symptoms of PKU will be reduced if a strict diet is followed, even for adults who have been diagnosed late in life andhave already suffered neurological damage.  Most of the benefits seem to be around behaviour and immunity to disease.  There is some suggestion that a mild form of PKU may cause similar symptoms to ADHD / ADD, resulting in possible mis-diagnosis.

Find out more on PKU here…