Milk can be lethal to babies with classic galactosemia, a rare genetic disorder that severely impairs the body’s ability to process a milk sugar known as galactose and is associated with a host of neurodevelopmental issues. However, the fate of children with Duarte galactosemia—a milder, more common variant—has been unclear. As a result, state-level recommendations on milk intake for children diagnosed with Duarte galactosemia have varied widely, from no limitations to banning all milk for the first year or more of a child’s development.
A new study co-authored by a Washington State University researcher finally brings clarity to parents of children with Duarte galactosemia, their health care providers, and health officials. Published in a recent issue of the journal PEDIATRICS, the study found that children with Duarte galactosemia are at no greater risk of long-term developmental abnormalities than their unaffected siblings, regardless of their exposure to milk as infants.
“Therefore, we don’t need to detect Duarte galactosemia, and we don’t need to restrict their milk intake,” said co-author Nancy Potter, a speech-language pathologist and a professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
Read more at Washington State University
Image: The image shows a feeding bottle filled with milk in the foreground. In the background, a mother is lying face up on the floor holding up her baby in an affectionate gesture. (Credit:Pexels/rawpixel.com)