Fava beans can 'kill' some Emirati kids

A 6-year-old Emirati child was rushed to emergency in Latifa Hospital in Dubai with severe breathing difficulties.

“Just before the frightening attack, my son passed very dark-orange urine,” said his mother.

“The doctors asked me what he had eaten, and I said different kinds of beans - including Fava beans.

“Thank God, the doctors were able to save my son,” the mother said, adding that she did not know her child had a reaction to Fava beans and legumes [which includes sweet peas].

After having several blood tests done, the doctors confirmed that that the child suffers from g6pd (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency.

This inherited blood disorder is fairly common among Emirati families – that not many are aware of.

Another Dubai-based Emirati mother of a newborn baby said her infant had jaundice after birth at the American Hospital, which is fairly common.

She said that doctors had to do blood tests, and revealed to her that her baby had g6pd deficiency.

“I had never heard of g6pd deficiency. I did not know of its seriousness. Because of the word ‘deficiency’, I thought it could be treated with supplements.

“But then to my distress, the doctors told me that it cannot be treated and is a life-long illness.

How to avoid attack triggers

“I researched and educated myself, and I am thankful that I know about this now. I will be sure to avoid any exposure to the triggers,” the mother said.

“With the proper precautions, g6pd deficiency should not keep the affected person from living a healthy, active life,” says the UAE Genetic Diseases Association.

According to the G6pd Favism Deficiency Association, the blood disorder is an “enzyme deficiency [that] may provoke sudden destruction of red blood cells and lead to hemolytic anemia with jaundice following the intake of Fava beans, certain legumes and various drugs.”

G6pd deficiency is most common among UAE nationals, the UAE Genetic Diseases Association says.

This is a disorder in which the body doesn’t have enough of the enzyme g6pd, which allows red blood cells to function normally, it says.
 

Symptoms of the attack include:

•     Paleness

•     Extreme tiredness

•     Rapid heartbeat

•     Rapid breathing or shortness of breath

•     Jaundice

•     Enlarged spleen, and

•     Dark, tea-colored urine

“Females are carriers of g6pd deficiency, meaning they can pass the gene for the deficiency to their children. But they generally do not show the symptoms; only a few are actually affected by g6pd deficiency,” the UAE association said.


Best treatment

The best treatment is to simply remove the trigger. However, there are more severe cases in which the patient must be admitted to the hospital for professional care, the UAE association advises.

The suggested list of foods to avoid for people suffering from this disorder can be found at www.g6pddeficiency.org Different children can suffer from varying degrees of g6pd deficiency. In fact, the medical industry applies a scale to measure the severity.

When it is very severe, the deficiency is called ‘Favism’.

Statistics of the G6pd Favism Association state that the deficiency is most prevalent in Africa (affecting up to 20 per cent of the population). It is also common around the Mediterranean (4-30 per cent) and Southeast Asia.

The Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS) states that a study was conducted in Khorfakkan, UAE on cord blood samples of all neonates born in a 6-month time period between 2006-2007.

“202 of these neonates were Emiratis [and] g6pd deficiency was identified in 20 of these samples; providing a prevalence rate of 7.9 per cent.”

More severe symptoms can be seen in the Mediterranean variant than other g6pd variants.

According to CAGS, 80 per cent of the g6pd deficient cases carry the Mediterranean variant in the UAE.

(Shutterstock)

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.