Does nutritional intake differ between children with autism spectrum disorders and children with typical development?

Area of Science:

• Nutritional science
• Developmental pediatrics
• Autism research

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition.
• Dietary patterns and nutrient intake are crucial for child development.
• Understanding nutritional differences in ASD is important for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare nutrient and food group intake between children with ASD and typically developing children.
• To identify specific dietary patterns associated with ASD.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 3-day diet records for 46 children with ASD and 31 typically developing children.
• Compared consumption of macro- and micronutrients and food group servings.
• Statistical analyses controlled for age, sex, and dietary restrictions, including the gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet.

Main Results:

• Children with ASD consumed significantly more vitamin B6, vitamin E, and non-dairy protein servings.
• Children with ASD consumed significantly less calcium and fewer dairy servings.
• A significant portion of children in both groups did not meet national recommendations for fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin E, and vitamin D.

Conclusions:

• Children with ASD exhibit distinct dietary patterns, notably lower dairy intake, independent of GFCF diet adherence.
• Both children with ASD and typically developing children frequently have suboptimal intake of key nutrients.
• Further research into nutritional interventions for ASD is warranted.