In this episode, we shine a light on the dietetic speciality of inherited metabolic disorders. We sit down to explore the range of patients and conditions that dietitians manage in this speciality including phenylketonuria (PKU) and galactosaemia. We unpack the importance of diet in inherited metabolic disorders and discuss the advancements in management over recent years. Joining me today to delve into this topic are specialist inherited metabolic disorders dietitians Louise Robertson and Sarah Howe. In 2015 Sarah and Louise set up a dietetic blog called ‘Dietitian’s Life’ and have been working together ever since. The blog covers a mixture of general nutrition and PKU and has led to some amazing opportunities; in fact, they now have a regular column in the NHD magazine!Sarah has been working in Inherited Metabolic Disorders since 2010 and has never looked back. She qualified as a Dietitian in 2008, after completing a Biology Degree at York University, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Dietetics at Leeds Met University. Prior to this current role she worked in gastroenterology, oncology and haematology. Sarah has an interest in Glycogen Storage Disorders, Tyrosinaemia and Alstrom Syndrome and looks after these cohorts of patients in her role. In her spare time, she is a busy Mum of 3 children, loves to exercise, run, journal and is learning to play the piano. Louise is a specialist dietitian in Inherited Metabolic Disorders in Birmingham where she helped set up the service in 2008. She qualified as a dietitian in 2002 from the University of Surrey. Louise is also the dietitian for the Galactosaemia Support Group in the UK and she is on the committee for the dietitians group of the British Intertied Metabolic Diseases Group (BIMDG). She regularly presents at conferences at home and abroad, writes articles and with Sarah, coordinated and contributed to the new section ‘Inherited Metabolic Disorders in Adults’ in the 2015 and 2019 editions of The Manual of Dietetic Practice and the complementary ‘Case Studies’ book. Louise has 2 daughters, plays the cello in her local amateur orchestra and took up sewing during lockdown!Show notesBIMDG Dietitians Group: https://bimdg.org.uk/site/dietitians.aspNSPKU: https://nspku.orgGalactosaemia Support Group: https://www.galactosaemia.orgMetabolic Support UK: https://www.metabolicsupportuk.org/Dietetic Management of Adults with Phenylketonuria (PKU) in the UK: A Care Consensus Document: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8838652/Dietitian’s Life (Sarah and Louise’s blog): https://www.dietitianslife.com/www.facebook.com/dietitianslife/ Guest socials:Sarah’s Twitter: @metabolicSarah and @RunJumpScrap Louise’s Instagram: @dietitians_lifeLouise’s Twitter: @louisedietitian
