Propionic Acidemia

When your baby is first born, they undergo a "newborn screening" which checks for hundreds of possible problems that could exists in your child's little helpless body. Four days after returning home from the hospital with my new baby boy, I received the most terrifying telephone call. It was my sons pediatrician who was putting me in contact with a geneticist in Chicago (3 hours away from where we lived). The geneticist informed me that my son had abnormal results from the newborn screening and needed immediate attention. We packed our bags and drove the 3 hours, only to spend 2 weeks in the hospital. During this 2 weeks, we came to find out that my son has Propionic Acidemia. My guess is that you've never even heard of it because only 1 in 100,000 people have this metabolic condition. It is a lifelong struggle with protein. Basically, my sons body does not break down protein the right way. If too much protein is consumed, my son goes into what is called a metabolic crisis and his body shuts down. It was the scariest 2 weeks of my life. After dealing with this condition for almost 4 years now, I find myself, and my son, much more adapted to dealing with the daily stress it causes. We've figured out ways to maintain a healthy and normal life and will continue to do so. The first few months were the hardest, and sometimes I wish I had someone to ask advice from when times got tough. Now, I can be that someone for someone else. I can give helpful advice to other mothers who are dealing with the trials of this condition. I can help them through those times that are difficult! To find out more about Propionic Acidemia, please visit the PA foundation site at the following link. (PA FOUNDATION)