Malnutrition among preschool-aged autistic children in Oman (original) (raw)
Childhood Autism: Clinical Characteristics, Nutritional Status, and Psychosocial Features
European journal of medical and health sciences, 2022
Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a set of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by a deficit in social behaviors and nonverbal interactions onset in the first 3 years of life. Therefore, the present study aimed to study the clinical features, nutritional status, risk factors, and behaviors of children with autism. Methods: Across section study involved a total of 100 subjects 74 (76%) male and 26 (24%) female. The ages of the children were ranging from 3-17 years old. The self-administration questionnaire containing questions on behavior, health problems, nutritional status, and risk factors was also completed. Bodyweight and height were measured to calculate the BMI percentile. Laboratory tests such as blood glucose and HbA1C, vitamin D were included. Clinical and behavioral information is also involved. All samples were analyzed through either mean ±SEM or Chi-square to determine significant differences. Results: The present study shows that the majority of the children have age 7 years old, and autism increased significantly at ages between 6-10 years (P<0.05). In comparison to females, a male has three times more affected by autism (P=0.000). There were many points identified in the study including autism onset started between 1-3 years, blood groups of parents O+ significant resultant in offspring with O+ blood groups, 20% of subjects have positive family history and consanguinity for each. The behavior of autistic children shows that children like playing with electronic IPAD, dislike hearing crying, and less sleeping hours than normal people but they have similar food attitudes and consumption compared to normal counterparts. Impairment in communication was the most common sign of autism and less like hours for play. Obesity was a common nutritional disorder and food behavior has been seen toward some foods. The common health problems reported were epilepsy, respiratory diseases, constipation, and UTIs. Conclusion: The present study revealed that some behaviors, risk factors, health problems, and abnormal levels of calcium, hemoglobin, and vitamin D were determined. Furthermore, increase body weight some behaviors toward certain types of foods have been identified. This study suggested that routine monitoring of children with autism should include assessment of blood groups, dietary habits, as well as anthropometric measurements.
Nutritional Status of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs): A Case–Control Study
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2014
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have problems of food selectivity, implying risks of nutritional deficiencies. The aim was to compare intakes of macro and micronutrients and body mass index in ASD and typically developing (TD) children. In a case-control study, 3-day food diaries and anthropometric measurements were completed for ASD (n = 40) and TD (n = 113) children (aged 6-10 years) living in the same area. Body mass indices were below the 5th percentile in 20 % of ASD versus 8.85 % of TD children. We found intakes were lower for fluoride (p = 0.017) and higher for vitamin E (p = 0.001). There was limited food variety and inadequacy of some intakes suggests that routine monitoring of ASD children should include assessment of their dietary habits, as well as anthropometric measurements.
Tạp chí Khoa học Nghiên cứu Sức khỏe và Phát triển, 2022
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have problems of food selectivity, implying risks of nutritional deficiencies. The aim was to compare intakes of macro and micronutrients and body mass index in ASD and typically developing (TD) children. In a case-control study, 3-day food diaries and anthropometric measurements were completed for ASD (n = 40) and TD (n = 113) children (aged 6-10 years) living in the same area. Body mass indices were below the 5th percentile in 20 % of ASD versus 8.85 % of TD children. We found intakes were lower for fluoride (p = 0.017) and higher for vitamin E (p = 0.001). There was limited food variety and inadequacy of some intakes suggests that routine monitoring of ASD children should include assessment of their dietary habits, as well as anthropometric measurements.
2018
Background: Nutrition is an integral part of growth and develo pment for all children. It is reported that the dietary behaviors and metabolic conditions in child ren with autism show many differences with respect to normal children. Objectives: This study was conducted with the aim o f determining the feeding behaviors of the autistic and nonautistic children and their parent’s feeding behavi or. Design and Sample: Comparative – descriptive study of the parents of 73 autistic children are involve d as case group and the parents of 82 non – autisitic childre n. Results: No significant difference in the behaviors of the parents except for their encouraging nutrition beha vior (t = 7.8, p <.05) was received as a result of the a nalysis whether there was a statistical difference between the nutrition and feeding behaviors of children with au tism and normal development children and their pare nts, which was one of the questions of the study. Conclusion: This study showed that under ...
Nutritional Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Benghazi
2021
Original Research Article Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment condition characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior that present during early development and result in clinically significant impairment. The study was carried on (62) male and (23) female their age group range from (< 5year to >14 year) who are assessed through distribution of detailed questionnaires. The participant was selected by communicating with their parents and caregivers by a sent copy of questionnaires. Weight and height was measured after completion of the questionnaire. The laboratory tests were obtained from medical records of participants. Data set was exported to SPSS for complete analysis. In the present study, the total number of subjects involved was 85 with ages ranging from <5 years to >14 years old and average age was2.5 years. The peak of autism ages was shown at age gro...
An approach to the nutritional management of autism
Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 2003
An Approach to the Nutritional Management of Autism triad, usually manifest by age 3. Autism is developmental, but need not involve mental re t a rd at i o n . Symptoms of autism may become evident as early as 4 months after birth. In a minority of cases, after developing normally a child re g resses into autism. Clinically, neuro l o g i c a l abnormalities usually do m i n ate the symptomat o l o g y. Bra i n imaging has revealed zonal brain hypoperfusion and underresponsiveness, localized mainly in the fro n t o t e m p o ral cort e x ( re v i ewed in Kidd). Abnormalities in other organ systems add to the disord e r ’s severity, and dictate a fully diversified a p p roach to its medical management. Autistic children and their parents face gre at challenges. Autistics score consistently low on measures of adaptive or life skills. As adults, their life outcomes range from complete dependence to (ra rely) successful employment. People with autism also have abnormally short lifespans...
Nutritional Intake and Therapies in AutismA Spectrum of What We Know: Part 1
Ican: Infant, Child, & Adolescent Nutrition, 2010
Autism is one of the fastest growing developmental disabilities in the United States. With every 1 in 100 children diagnosed with autism, this condition is more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Core deficits of autism limit functioning in social interaction, communication, and daily activity participation. Individuals with autism typically require significant levels of supervised care, special education resources, and health service throughout life. The nutritional status of children with autism is receiving increasing attention in the field. Nutrient deficiencies have been proposed as a causative factor in the manifestation of the disorder. Further, characteristic autism behaviors and autism-specific interventions may increase the risk of suboptimal nutrition. Part 1 of this paper provides a review as to what is currently known regarding the nutrient intake and/or nutritional status of children with autism, and the myriad factors-both medical/nutritional and behavioral/ contextual-likely to impact dietary intake and nutritional status. Part 2 explores nutrition interventions (special diets and dietary supplements or "biomedical" interventions) in terms of safety and efficacy, as well as behavioral interventions used in autism spectrum disorder.
Report of a Meeting: Food, Nutrition, and Autism: From Soil to Fork
The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2024
Food and nutrition-related factors have the potential to impact development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and quality of life for people with ASD, but gaps in evidence exist. On 10 November 2022, Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Food and Nutrition Innovation Institute hosted a 1-d meeting to explore the evidence and evidence gaps regarding the relationships of food and nutrition with ASD. This meeting report summarizes the presentations and deliberations from the meeting. Topics addressed included prenatal and child dietary intake, the microbiome, obesity, food-related environmental exposures, mechanisms and biological processes linking these factors and ASD, food-related social factors, and data sources for future research. Presentations highlighted evidence for protective associations with prenatal folic acid supplementation and ASD development, increases in risk of ASD with maternal gestational obesity, and the potential for exposure to environmental contaminants in foods and food packaging to influence ASD development. The importance of the maternal and child microbiome in ASD development or ASD-related behaviors in the child was reviewed, as was the role of discrimination in leading to disparities in environmental exposures and psychosocial factors that may influence ASD. The role of child diet and high prevalence of food selectivity in children with ASD and its association with adverse outcomes were also discussed. Priority evidence gaps identified by participants include further clarifying ASD development, including biomarkers and key mechanisms; interactions among psychosocial, social, and biological determinants; interventions addressing diet, supplementation, and the microbiome to prevent and improve quality of life for people with ASD; and mechanisms of action of diet-related factors associated with ASD. Participants developed research proposals to address the priority evidence gaps. The workshop findings serve as a foundation for future prioritization of scientific research to address evidence gaps related to food, nutrition, and ASD.
Nutritional deficiencies and overweight prevalence among children with autism spectrum disorder
Research in developmental disabilities, 2015
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk of developing nutritional deviations. Three to six year old children with ASD were compared to their typically developing siblings and to a typically developing age and gender matched control group, in order to evaluate their intake and body mass index. Nutrient intake was compared to the Dietary Reference Intake using three-day diet diaries completed by the parents. The sum percentage of nutritional deficiencies in the ASD group compared to the typical development group was 342.5% (±122.9%) vs. 275.9% (±106.8%), respectively (P=0.026). A trend toward higher deficiency in the ASD group was observed as compared to the sibling group 363% (±122.9%) vs. 283.2% (±94.7%) (P=0.071). A higher body mass index was found in the ASD group compared to their counterparts, despite their nutritional deficiencies. In conclusion, children with ASD are more likely to suffer from nutritional deficiencies despite higher body mass index.
Feeding Problems among children with autism in a clinical population in India
Objectives To compare the prevalence and profile of feeding problems (FP) and their relationship with sensory processing in children with autism and intellectual disability (ID). Methods Children between ages 3 to 10 y with autism (N=41) and ID (N=56) were recruited and assessed with Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory, Sensory Profile Questionnaire, Childhood Autism Rating Scale and Binet-Kamat Scale of Intelligence or Gesell's Developmental Schedule. Assessments were done by independent raters. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used appropriately. Results The prevalence of FP were 61 and 46.4 % among children with autism and ID respectively. Feeding problems were severe among children with autism (P 0.001), especially in young children with autism (P 0.05), and gender was not related to FP. Disruptive meal-time behaviors (P 0.001) and food over-selectivity (P 0.02) were significantly more among children with autism in the bivariate and multivariate analysis. Feeding problems and various dimensions of sensory processing were significantly associated after controlling the confounders. Conclusions These findings underscore the need for mandatory assessment of FP in children with developmental disabilities, and if present, they need to be addressed with multimodal-multidisciplinary interventions.