Chicken could cause him brain Damage
My boy is now on a strict diet for life
He was a bundle of pure perfection.
When my son Max was born in October last year, weighing a healthy 6lb 15oz, me and my hubby Craig, 27, were besotted.
Days after he arrived at Medway Maritime Hospital, Max had the usual heel prick test to check for any serious health conditions.
Craig and I weren’t worried.
Back home, we settled into life with our newborn.
But, days on, I received a call from Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
‘We’ve got Max’s results,’ a specialist nurse said, explaining Max was showing signs of phenylketonuria (PKU). ‘What’s that?’ I asked. ‘Our bodies break down protein into amino acids,’ the nurse said. ‘Any amino acids that aren’t needed are broken down further and removed from the body.’
However, people with PKU can’t break down the amino acid phenylalanine, known as ‘phe’.
So it builds up in the blood and brain.
They invited us in for an appointment to discuss it.
‘In the meantime, don’t Google it as you’ll only worry yourself,’ they advised.
After, I phoned Craig at work to let him know.
‘Let’s try not to panic until we’ve met with the doctor,’ I told him.
But Craig couldn’t resist researching the condition.
And he read if ‘phe’ builds up it can lead to brain damage. I was in bits. At our appointment a few days on, the doctor told us more about PKU.
‘It’s inherited,’ he explained.
Turned out Craig and I were both carriers of the altered gene that can cause it. Worse, there’s no known cure for PKU, but it can be treated by following a strict diet. ‘Max will need to stick to a low-protein diet for the rest of his life,’ we were told. It meant avoiding food like meat, eggs and dairy products. But protein is hidden in many other foods – potatoes, cereals, rice, pasta…
So we’d have to carefully watch Max’s intake.
‘What can he eat then?’ I asked, worried.
‘Mainly fruit and vegetables,’ the doctor replied.
But we’d even have to watch his vegetable intake as well.
‘Some veg such as broccoli contain protein,’ we were told.
Eventually, we were referred to a dietician who drew up a diet plan, and Max was prescribed special low-protein milk.
Back home, Craig and I tried not to feel overwhelmed.
A first-time mum, though, it was tough.
I constantly worried about Max, but blood tests showed his ‘phe’ levels were under control.
Thankfully, PKU doesn’t present any symptoms.
It’s only if Max were to eat a lot of protein would his condition become serious.
It’s a scary thought, but Max is being monitored closely, and we’re sticking to his strict diet religiously.
I know as he gets older it’ll become harder.
Eating out will be a challenge. And he won’t be able to eat the same things as his friends.
Cakes, sweets, chicken nuggets, ice-cream…
But I’m hoping that because he’s never eaten those things, he won’t know what he’s missing.
It’s not an easy condition to live with.
My whole day revolves around preparing his meals.
He’s such a happy little baby, though.
And his precious smile makes it all worthwhile.
He won’t be able to eat the same things as his friends