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Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method
Published on: February 19, 2021
Diet and special educational needs (SENs) among children and adolescents: a systematic review
Lúcia Nova1, Rui Poínhos1, Beatriz Teixeira1,2,3
1Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal.
Abstract:
Special educational needs (SENs) refer to children and adolescents needing additional educational support. Diet during pregnancy and pediatric age can influence the prevalence/severity of symptoms in SEN-related conditions/disabilities. This review aims to summarize associations between (i) pregnant women's diet and the prevalence of SEN-related conditions/disabilities among children/adolescents and (ii) the diet of children/adolescents with SEN-related conditions/disabilities and their symptomatology/well-being. A literature search was performed on Medline and Scopus, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The following inclusion criteria were considered, for each aim: (i) children/adolescents aged 19 years and younger, pregnant women's diet/nutrition, and diagnosis of SEN-related conditions/disabilities in children/adolescents; (ii) children/adolescents aged 19 years and younger, children/adolescents' diet/nutrition, and symptomatology/well-being of children/adolescents with SEN-related conditions/disabilities. 87 articles were included, referring to 10 different SEN-related conditions/disabilities, from which attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (41 articles) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (34 articles) stand out. Noteworthy results were seen regarding maternal caffeine consumption; pregnant woman multivitamin supplementation, high-sugar foods, and beverage intake during childhood/adolescence; maternal breastfeeding; and vitamin D supplementation. Despite the notable associations, further research using more standardized and homogeneous methodologies is needed to strengthen these findings. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022313235.
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