How do I know if I got PKU?

My six year old daughter has PKU (Phenylketonuria). It was discovered by a standard natal screening test, developed in the sixties by a man who wasn't even a doctor. The test was developed and distributed in the seventies, mainly due to the fact that the blood test was simple and cheap. As a result, people now rarely develop classic symptoms - severe mental retardation. This would have occurred shortly after you were born, as the Phenylpyruvic acid built up from the protein you were ingesting. As the amino acid Phenylalenine is processed in the liver, it then creates an acid that attacks the brain and nervous system, resulting in permanent damage. The diet is costly, and the resulting lifestyle is comparable to being a vegetarian. The difference is that the vegetarian foods used to supplement the protein for people without PKU are super-charged with protien supplements such as tofu or soybeans. My daughter can only withstand about 1 teaspoonfull of peanut butter worth of protein daily. She will never be able to eat meat, barring a medical miracle.

I don't know what PKU is, but try www.webmd.com

You would become mentally deficient, and would probably be mentally retarded by now if you hadnt been following a special diet. I think drs would have found it by now if you had this.

http://www.answers.com/topic/phenylketon...

http://www.answers.com/pku?gwp=12&method...

Babies are tested for this at birth. One sign is a foul smell associated with your urine.

I believe babies are tested for it when they are born, they are pricked in their heel.