Discovery of PKU
CONCEPT: History of PKU
BRIEF SUMMARY
Participants read the story of the discovery of PKU and complete a worksheet discussing the information.
OBJECTIVES
After completing this activity, participants will be able to:
- list three things they learned about the discovery of PKU
- provide at least one reason why newborn screening is so important
- describe the consequences of undiagnosed PKU
METHODS
Distribute The Discovery of PKU story and worksheet. Give the participants time to read through the story and complete the worksheet.
Discussion: Answer any questions the participants might have about the information. Discuss the questions on the worksheet.
- Is there any additional information about PKU the participants would like to add/discuss?
- Remind the participants how little was known about PKU just 40-60 years ago. Some older people with PKU may never have been on diet. At one point, some children may have gone off diet because we were still learning about PKU.
- What happens if your blood phe levels are high?
- Why is newborn screening so important?
