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Keep Phe low for a healthy baby
Every new parent wants what is best for their baby – the chance to be all they can possibly be. If you have PKU, you just need to take action right away to give your child a healthy, happy start in life.
High Phe during pregnancy is bad for the baby
High Phe during pregnancy hurts the unborn baby's brain. It puts an unborn baby at very high risk for serious problems. The risk of mental retardation is over 90%. The baby may have a small head or odd facial features. Other problems, like heart disease, are common too.2,13
These problems are very similar to the problems of babies born to women who drink a lot of alcohol during pregnancy.2
High Phe when you are pregnant can affect the baby's intelligence for life. A study compared babies of women who had high Phe during pregnancy with babies of women who had Phe under control while they were pregnant. At age 2, the high Phe babies did worse on tests than the other kids. By age 4, they were even more behind.13
The good news is that women with PKU can have healthy, happy babies. But it is very important to make sure you have Phe under control before you get pregnant, or as soon as you know you are pregnant. The earlier you have Phe under control, the better it is for your baby.2,13
Also, the lower you get your Phe, the better it is for you – and your baby.2
Remember:
- Lower is better*
- Sooner is better
Be extra careful with a second pregnancy
Research finds that women with PKU usually had less Phe control during later pregnancies than during the first one.13 But Phe control is important to every baby! Even when you already have one baby to take care of, you need to take good care of yourself and your unborn second baby by keeping Phe low.
