Amino Acid Disorder PKU in pregnancy: Why Casey could eat just four grams of protein per day and had to weigh her food: ‘I’ll do everything to keep my baby healthy’

Most pregnant women are told to pay close attention, their mealfew people need to weigh their food at each meal.

But that’s the reality of Casey Steel. A mother to live in rural Queensland had to severely limit her protein intake to less than 4 grams per day. serious complications for her growing baby.

But for the 28-year-old schoolteacher, “micromanaging” her diet is nothing new.I had Metabolic Disorder Phenylketonuria (PKU)affects her metabolism, which she picked up on when she was a newborn, but Casey didn’t know the difference.

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This rare disorder means that her body cannot break down the amino acid phenylalanine. If you’re using PKU, too much of this will cause Intellectual disability, brain damage and seizures. It affects one in about 10,000 babies born in Australia each year.

But Casey was confident in managing her diet — she was strictly vegetarian, never ate meat, had few diaries, minimal grains, and no food. It relies on formulated drinks to provide nutrients you can’t get from a whole new experience.

My team immediately took me to Brisbane when I told them I was pregnant. It was all very filling.

Long before she even thought about having a baby, she had to cut her intake down to just 4 grams a day. As an example of how restrictive this is, an egg contains about 13 grams of protein.

Having been warned by doctors at the Queensland Longevity and Metabolic Medicine Service since she was a teenager about the dangers of an unexpected pregnancy, Casey took the job seriously.

“I knew I wanted to try it, but it takes a lot of planning. In the year before I got pregnant, I was talking to my metabolic team and a nutritionist, and I was wondering if there was a healthy range I could safely try. for the sake of the baby,’ she said 9 Honey.

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“I spent 2021 making sure I stuck to a certain amount of grams, checking my levels and proving that I could maintain it. I did!”

During pregnancy, phenylalanine levels can cross the placenta at up to three times the levels in the mother’s blood. I have.

But to complicate matters, Casey lived in Moura and her medical team was based in Brisbane. 7 hours by car from central Queensland.

Casey has already had over 50 blood tests

“My team rushed to Brisbane as soon as they told me I was pregnant. It was all very packed,” she explains. It was stressful because I wanted to do everything I could to.”

First, she drove two hours to Rockhampton and then flew to the hospital. But she knew she needed regular monitoring—she already had over 50 blood tests. Her team devised a workaround for Casey to visit a local hospital to be tested and had it couriered to Brisbane.

However, this also had its limits. In Brisbane, we could get results within hours, but here it could take up to four days. An anxious wait for a first-time mom given potential complications.

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She has since moved to a bigger house, country townthe process remains the same.

“That was also a challenge. In the countryside, I was already behind the 8-ball. It took.”

Casey went through some “hurdles” early on. That’s when she was admitted to a hospital in Brisbane because her levels didn’t drop to what she should have. morning sickness whatextra challengeAlso, her levels can spike if she doesn’t consume enough calories.

When she was 9 weeks pregnant, she was hospitalized for a week and given fluids until her body could tolerate food again.

“It was stressful in a way, because I think, ‘Well, I hope it’s not affecting the kids here.’ Worried about that, this extra layer wasn’t fun.

read more: “Raising children in rural Australia has been the hardest and loneliest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Not only is her baby growing well, but her liver is functioning, Casey was able to increase her protein intake to 36 grams per day, without which she never could have enjoyed herself. . .

“I enjoy dairy products, cheese and sweets more. Rice, grains, pasta, things I really couldn’t eat before,” she said.

Despite the difficulties, Casey, who is due to give birth, says it was worth it.

“It’s worth it. Mothers with pre-existing conditions will do whatever they can to ensure a healthy pregnancy. That’s the end goal for everyone. PKU adds an additional challenge. Because it’s on you and I feel the pressure.More.But it’s worth it.”

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