Phenylketonuria
PKU and pregnancy
Women with PKU have to take particular care during pregnancy, because high levels of phenylalanine can damage the unborn baby.
Providing that phenylalanine levels are strictly controlled during pregnancy, problems can be avoided and there's no reason why a woman with PKU shouldn't be able to have a normal, healthy baby.
It's recommended that all women with PKU plan their pregnancies carefully. You should aim to follow a strict diet and monitor your blood twice a week before becoming pregnant. It's best to try to conceive once phenylalanine levels are within the target range for pregnancy.
During pregnancy, you'll be asked to provide blood samples three times a week and will be in frequent contact with your dietitian. As soon as your baby is born, phenylalanine control can be relaxed and there's no reason why, if you have PKU, you can't breastfeed your baby.
Contact your PKU doctors and dietitians as soon as possible if you become pregnant when your phenylalanine levels aren't adequately controlled. If your phenylalanine levels can be brought under control within the first few weeks of your pregnancy, the risk of damage to the baby should be small. However, your pregnancy will need to be monitored very carefully.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Read about phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition that's present from birth (congenital), where the body is unable to break down phenylalanine.
Diagnosing PKU
At around five days old, babies are offered newborn blood spot screening to check if they have PKU or a number of other conditions. This involves pricking your baby's heel to collect drops of blood t
Symptoms of PKU
PKU doesn't usually cause any symptoms if treatment is started early. Without treatment, PKU can damage the brain and nervous system, whichcanlead to learning disabilities. Other symptoms of untreat
TreatingPKU
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 a
How PKU is inherited
The genetic cause (mutation) responsible forPKU is passed on by the parents, who are usually carriers and don't have any symptoms of the condition themselves. The way this mutation is passed on is kn
Adults with PKU
Manyadults with PKU find they function best while on a low protein diet. The current advice is for people with PKU to remain on a low protein diet for life. However, this wasn't always the case in th
PKU and pregnancy
Women with PKU have to take particular care during pregnancy, because high levels of phenylalanine can damage the unborn baby. Providing that phenylalanine levels are strictly controlled during pregn
Information about you
If you or your child has PKU, your clinical team will pass information about youon to the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Service (NCARDRS). This helps scientists look for
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