Observation of Behavioral and Personality Characteristics of Phenylketonurics According to Their Dietary Duration: Early Treatment and Normal Intelligence

Abstract

13 Phenylketonuric children with normal intelligence and treated early were divided into two groups, a long- and a short-diet group, on the basis of the length of their dietary restriction. All subjects were rated by parents and teachers on the Behavior-Personality Problem Rating Scale. According to the total scores and scores on two individual items (“social withdrawal” and “passivity”), the subjects of the long-diet group received significantly more unfavorable ratings than the subjects of the short-diet group. Equally high incidences of “poor interpersonal behavior,” “short attention span,” “low frustration tolerance,” “low self-confidence,” and “special learning disability” were found in both groups.