Galactose-1-Phosphate

Also known as: galactose-1-phosphate test, Gal-1-P test.

What is galactose-1-phosphate?

Galactose is a sugar found primarily in milk and other dairy products which after absorption is broken down (metabolized to glucose) and used by the body’s cells to produce energy. When an enzyme that facilitates this (galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase-GALT) is deficient galactose-1-phosphate accumulates in the blood. This disorder is called galactosemia, the most common of a group of inherited disorders of galactose metabolism.


What happens during the procedure?

Heel stick blood is used as part of the routine newborn screening test or blood is drawn from a vein and sent to the laboratory for testing.


Is any special preparation needed?

No special preparation is needed for the test.


What are the risk factors?

Pain, bleeding, infection, and damage to surrounding organs and tissues are potential risks of drawing blood.


Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: March 26, 2019 12:25 PM