The future of PKU is ever changing. There are new foods and recipes being created all the time. All you have to do is google PKU and you can find an abundance of information. One of the new creations is a drug called KUVAN. Kuvan is a drug that helps a PKU body break apart the protein phenylalanine into tyrosine. This is something that happens naturally to non-PKU people. If Kuvan is successful, then the body can break apart some of the phenylalanine and allow a person to consume more foods with phenylalanine.
There are some downsides to Kuvan. It does not work for all people with PKU. Most doctors recommend that their patients stay on diet while the brain is still developing. The brain finishes developing around 7-10 years of age. After that the diet helps the brain to maintain proper function. Kuvan helps the body to break apart the phe which allows the person to eat more phe yet still have proper brain function!
Since Lily is only one, Kuvan is not an option, yet! As she gets older there will be many more developments. So we'll see! Here is a video about an 18 year old girl who currently takes Kuvan. I hope that as Lily gets older, she will be as successful with her life and dealing with PKU.
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