How can PKU affect a person’s performance in school and/or work?
Children and adults with treated PKU are often faced with certain adverse effects of the disorder in work and school. Visual-motor deficits as well as spatial perception problems are common, leading to difficulty in arithmetic and other tasks requiring analytical skills. PKU often affects a person’s fine motor speed, reaction time, and executive functioning skills related to memory and problem solving. Attention deficits and hyperactivity, which can further aggravate learning disabilities, are also common among children with the disorder — especially those whose metabolic control is less than optimal. A pregnant woman with PKU, in addition to these common emotional problems, often must face the additional stress and hormonal changes associated with a pregnancy.
