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Dietary Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analysis
David Fraguas1,2, Covadonga M Díaz-Caneja3,2, Laura Pina-Camacho3,2,4
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón and School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; david.fraguas@iisgm.com.
Pediatrics
|October 6, 2019
Summary
Specific dietary supplements, including omega-3 and vitamins, show efficacy in managing some autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. However, this meta-analysis does not support general dietary interventions for ASD treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Dietary interventions are frequently used for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Evidence for their effectiveness remains controversial.
- Common interventions include restrictive diets and supplements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of specific dietary interventions for ASD symptoms and functions.
- To use a meta-analytic approach to synthesize findings from randomized clinical trials.
- To assess effects across various clinical domains and symptom groups.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, and Embase databases.
- Inclusion of placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) up to September 2017.
- Meta-analysis of 27 RCTs involving 1028 individuals with ASD, using Hedges' g for effect size calculation.
Main Results:
- Dietary supplementation (omega-3, vitamins) demonstrated efficacy over placebo in improving ASD symptoms.
- Effect sizes were small (mean Hedges' g = 0.31) with low heterogeneity and publication bias.
- 27 RCTs with 1028 participants (542 intervention, 486 placebo) were analyzed.
Conclusions:
- Nonspecific dietary interventions are not supported for ASD treatment.
- Specific dietary interventions may play a role in managing certain ASD symptoms and functions.
- Further research is needed to clarify the role of targeted nutritional strategies.
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