History Lesson!

Something a lot of people have asked me is, "When was PKU discovered?" "Is it a newly found condition?" So I have found some history on PKU for everyone. Get on your glasses and get ready to learn. :)

1934 PKU Discovered-

PKU was discovered in 1934, when a doctor in Norway, named Asbjorn Folling, noticed that several mentally retarded patients had a strange odor.  He figured out that it was from something called "phenylacetic acid." The patients' urine also had a very high level of a chemical called "phenylketone." That is how the disease got its name, phenylketon-uria.

1950 The Child Who Never Grew-

Pearl Buck, best known for her Pulitzer-Prize winning The Good Earth, delighted in the birth of her daughter Carol in 1920, and was heartbroken when she failed to develop normally. Buck was unable to discover what was wrong with Carol, who grew up mentally retarded as a result of PKU. She published The Child Who Never Grew in 1950 with the hope that her experience could help others

1951 First Supplement-
In 1951, a German professor, Horst Bickel, developed the first PKU formula. The unflavored protein drink provided many amino acids without Phe. For the first time, PKU patients could get most of the nutrition they needed while keeping Phe levels low.

1958 Simple Test Developed-
Robert Guthrie developed a way to test for high Phe in newborns using a drop of blood. The test was fast, simple and inexpensive, unlike earlier tests.

1966 PKU Newborn Screening-
In 1966, hospitals across the country started using the Guthrie test to screen all infants for PKU. By identifying newborns with PKU at birth and managing care from the beginning, mental retardation could at last be avoided.

2007 First Drug Therapy for PKU-
KUVAN Tablets became the first drug approved for PKU


There is a little history for you.

Until Next Time,
Phe

P.S. Now is the time of year that the March For Dimes is happening!! Nationwide there are walks being coordinated to provide medical help to babies born premature!! Learn more and Donate Now!! 
http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?pp=4364044&ct=4&w=5545908&u=LauraRG




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