,,iii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #caj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november 
#ba1 #bjac,mr4 ,isakson 7for himself and
 ,ms4 ,baldwin7 submitted the following 
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on the ,judiciary            
,,resolution  ,designating ,december #c1
 #bjac1 as ,national ,phenylketonuria   
,awareness ,day4  ,whereas              
phenylketonuria is a rare1 inherited    
metabolic disorder that is characterized
 by the inability of the body to process
 the essential amino acid phenylalanine 
and causes mental retardation and other 
neurological problems1 such as memory   
loss and mood disorders1 when treatment 
is not started within the first few     
weeks of life2 ,whereas newborn         
screening for phenylketonuria was       
initiated in the ,united ,states in     
#aifc and recommended for inclusion in  
,state newborn screening programs under 
the ,newborn ,screening ,saves ,lives   
,act of #bjjg 7,public ,law #aaj-bjd2   

#abb ,stat4 #gje72 ,whereas             
approximately #a out of every #ae1jjj   
infants in the ,united ,states is born  
with phenylketonuria2 ,whereas the      
,phenylketonuria ,scientific ,review    
,conference in #bjab affirmed the       
recommendation of lifelong dietary      
treatment for phenylketonuria made by   
the ,national ,institutes of ,health    
,consensus ,development ,conference     
,statement #bjjj2 ,whereas women with   
phenylketonuria must maintain strict    
metabolic control before and during     
pregnancy to prevent fetal damage2      
,whereas a child born from an untreated 
mother with phenylketonuria may have a  
condition known as maternal             
phenylketonuria syndrome1 which can     
cause a small brain1 an intellectual    
disability1 birth defects of the heart1 
and a low birth weight2 ,whereas        
phenylketonuria is treated with medical 
food2 ,whereas although there is no cure
 for phenylketonuria1 treatment         
involving medical food and restricting  

phenylalanine intake can prevent        
progressive1 irreversible brain damage2 
,whereas maintaining a strict medical   
diet for phenylketonuria can be         
difficult to achieve1 and poor metabolic
 control can result in a significant    
decline in mental and behavioral        
performance2 ,whereas access to health  
insurance coverage for medical food     
varies across the ,united ,states2      
,whereas the long-term costs associated 
with caring for untreated children and  
adults exceed the cost of providing     
medical food treatment2 ,whereas        
scientists and researchers are hopeful  
that breakthroughs in phenylketonuria   
research will be forthcoming2 ,whereas  
researchers across the ,united ,states  
are conducting important research       
projects involving phenylketonuria2 and 
,whereas the ,senate is an institution  
that can raise awareness of             
phenylketonuria among the general public
 and the medical community3 ,now1       
therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate--    

7#a7 designates ,december #c1 #bjac1 as 
,national ,phenylketonuria ,awareness   
,day2  7#b7 encourages all people in the
 ,united ,states to become more informed
 about phenylketonuria2 and  7#c7       
respectfully requests that the          
,secretary of the ,senate transmit a    
copy of this resolution to the ,national
 ,,pku ,alliance1 a non-profit          
organization dedicated to improving the 
lives of individuals with               
phenylketonuria4