Every newborn is screened at birth for harmful disorders that could impact her growth and development. Metabolic disorders, explains KidsHealth, can interfere with an infant’s ability to use and process nutrients, including proteins. A simple blood test can determine if a newborn has a protein malabsorption condition and a variety of other health abnormalities. An inability to absorb protein is typically caused by a genetic disorder or allergy.
Metabolic Disorder
A newborn who is unable to absorb protein likely has a metabolic disorder. Also referred to as an inborn error of metabolism, a metabolic disorder interferes with an infant’s ability to process nutrients, maintain healthy tissues and produce energy, according to KidsHealth. Metabolic disorders that impact protein absorption, such as phenylketonuria, or PKU, maple syrup urine disease and tyrosinemia are often genetic diseases passed down from one or both parents.
Genetic Disease
A genetic disorder is a disease that is caused by a mutation or variation in a person’s DNA, which can range from an abnormality in one gene to the addition or subtraction of chromosomes or entire sets of chromosomes. A newborn can inherit a genetic disease from one or both parents, or even develop a disease that skipped a generation and was present in a grandparent or great grandparent.
Other Causes
An allergy is another condition that can cause protein malabsorption in a newborn. In some cases an allergy can be genetic, but can also occur without provocation. A milk allergy affects about 2 to 3 percent of babies, according to KidsHealth, most of whom outgrow the condition by age 5. It arises when the immune system mistakenly identifies milk protein as a harmful invader or toxin. It can cause an upset stomach and other digestive irregularities. KidsHealth reports that most kids allergic to cow’s milk are also intolerant of milk from goats, sheep and even protein in soy milk. Breastfed infants have a lower incidence of milk allergy than formula-fed babies.
Considerations
The best way to treat protein malabsorption is with a special, protein elimination diet. For PKU, for example, infants are put on a special formula that is low in the amino acid phenylalanine and later, a diet that eliminates all high-protein foods. Tyrosinemia, a metabolic disorder that interferes with a baby’s ability to process an amino acid and can lead to mild retardation, is treated with a special diet and, for some, a liver transplant. A baby with a milk allergy can switch to a hypoallergenic formula. Having your infant screened for a genetic disorder may help diagnose a metabolic disease – though having a mutated gene does not mean he will develop a disease. Cures for these conditions are a long way off, but medical advances have improved treatment, however, and many newborns diagnosed with a metabolic disease go on to live healthy lives with some alterations in diet, use of medications and therapy.
