title: Psychosocial factors in maternal phenylketonuria: prevention of unplanned pregnancies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Women with phenylketonuria (PKU) not treated prior to conception can have a pregnancy that results in serious fetal damage. In this report, factors associated with preventing unplanned (and hence late treated) pregnancies are described.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects included 60 phenylketonuric women and two comparison groups composed of female acquaintances and diabetic women. All were interviewed and administered tests of intelligence, general well-being, knowledge, and personality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five percent of the sexually active women with PKU used contraception only sporadically. The variables that best predicted reported frequency of birth control use were the extent to which women felt social support to use contraception (r = .64) along with positive attitudes about birth control (r = .66) and knowledge of family planning (r = .43). For the comparison groups, a different pattern of variables predicted contraceptive use, with locus of control figuring most prominently for the diabetics (r = .39) and social support for birth control being most important for the acquaintances (r = .46).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As more girls with PKU enter childbearing ages, there will be an increased need for specific programs that address psychosocial factors in maternal PKU.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Waisbren
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiloh
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: St James
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000523:psychology; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010661:Phenylketonurias / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support