The diet for phenylketonuria

There is currently no known method to cure PKU completely. With a disorder and a special type of metabolism that accompanies this disease, the individual will meet his / her whole life. This is a specific genetic notation that makes a given diagnosis in humans. For PKU is an incurable metabolic disorder, it is necessary to follow a lifelong diet that will allow normal physical, intellectual and neurological development. It has been known for more than fifty years that diet must contain a low amount of phenylalanine, thereby significantly reduces the risk of brain damage in childhood when it develops vigorously. The diet is indicated by the attending physician in cooperation with the nutritional therapist according to the tolerance values of phenylalanine in the blood. Specific blood values are determined at regular intervals, and according to phenylalanine values, the dietary plan of the individual is subsequently adjusted to suit his / her requirements and does not pose any risk to his / her health. The aim of my bachelor thesis is to map the common diet of children's patients with phenylketonuria, where each child has a different tolerance value of phenylalanine. As a result, the diet must be individually adapted and assembled. At the same time, I will be interested in possible problems and limitations that the patient may encounter and in the impacts not only on the individual, but also on the family and surroundings in which the child lives and grows up. To elaborate the practical part of my bachelor thesis I have chosen a qualitative research method in which I focused on 3 respondents. Specifically, 3 children with phenylketonuria, in the presence and cooperation of their legal representatives. I conducted an unstructured interview with them in which I was looking for detailed information about the health of the children and their eating habits. Then, I evaluated the information obtained and described it. The bachelor thesis could serve as an information material for medical staff or patients who face this disease. I found out from the interviews that no mother was prepared to have a phenylketonuria offspring. For everybody it was a shock and a new life situation, and both the whole family and the children themselves had to and still have to somehow cope with it. There is a new life stage in life, where the proper nutrition of the child is being solved for the proper development. There is a very important dietary treatment and cooperation with doctors and nutritional therapists. Diet is more expensive because special phenylketonuric products are more expensive than commonly available foods, but must be followed systematically and best with lifelong delivery of medications. If the child eats as recommended by the doctor, the development is in order and the risks of health complications are minimized