Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Prior research studies suggest that maternal polyunsaturated fatty acids could have protective effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine associations between maternal polyunsaturated fatty acid intake during pregnancy and risk for autism spectrum disorder and other non-typical development in a prospective cohort. Eligible women already had a child with autism spectrum disorder and were planning a pregnancy or were pregnant with another child. Children were clinically assessed longitudinally and diagnosed at 36 months. Maternal polyunsaturated fatty acid intake during pregnancy was estimated using food frequency questionnaires. Maternal third-trimester plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration was measured by gas chromatography. In all, 258 mother–child pairs were included. Mothers consuming more total omega-3 in the second half of pregnancy were 40% less likely to have children with autism spectrum disorder (relative risk = 0.6, 95% confidence interval: 0.3–0.98). No significant associations were observed between maternal third-trimester plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid subtype concentrations and risk of autism spectrum disorder. However, higher plasma eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid concentrations were associated with lower non-typical development risk (relative risk ranging from 0.47 to 0.88). This study provides suggestive evidence of associations between risk of autism spectrum disorder in the children and maternal omega-3 intake in late pregnancy but not with third-trimester plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids. Further research is needed to evaluate these potential relationships. Lay abstract Prior studies suggest that maternal polyunsaturated fatty acids intake during pregnancy may have protective effects on autism spectrum disorder in their children. However, they did not examine detailed timing of maternal polyunsaturated fatty acid intake during pregnancy, nor did they evaluate plasma concentrations. This study investigates whether maternal polyunsaturated fatty acids in defined time windows of pregnancy, assessed by both questionnaires and biomarkers, are associated with risk of autism spectrum disorder and other non-typical development in the children. Food frequency questionnaires were used to estimate maternal polyunsaturated fatty acid intake during the first and second half of pregnancy. Gas chromatography measured maternal plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in the third trimester. In all, 258 mother–child pairs from a prospective cohort were included. All mothers already had a child with autism spectrum disorder and were planning a pregnancy or pregnant with another child. Children were clinically assessed longitudinally and diagnosed at 36 months. For polyunsaturated fatty acid intake from questionnaires, we only found mothers consuming more omega-3 in the second half of pregnancy were 40% less likely to have children with autism spectrum disorder. For polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in the third-trimester plasma, we did not observe any statistical significance in relation to the risk of autism spectrum disorder. However, our study confirmed associations from previous studies between higher maternal docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid plasma concentrations in the late pregnancy and reduced risk for non-typical development. This study markedly advanced understandings of whether and when maternal polyunsaturated fatty acid intake influences risk for autism spectrum disorder and sets the stage for prevention at the behavioral and educational level.

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A Review of the Efficacy of the Dietary Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.3889/oamjms.2021.5743 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (F) ◽

pp. 88-94

Author(s):

Zainab Taha ◽

Khalid A. Abdalhai

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Dietary Intervention ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽

Food Additives ◽

Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Dietary Interventions ◽

Children With Asd

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early-onset neurodevelopmental disorder with 1 in 68 children prevalence. The key symptoms of ASD include social deficits, verbal and non-verbal communication deficits, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. For unknown reasons, gastrointestinal symptoms are related to ASD. The aim of the current paper is to review the available literature on dietary interventions in children with ASD and provide up-to-date evidence. METHODS: Searches in online databases, using the search terms’ dietary intervention, “autism spectrum disorders,” and “autism” were conducted. The search targeted publications ranging from 2010 to 2020. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies with different study designs which evaluated the effectiveness of specific dietary interventions in children with ASD were included in our review. Several dietary interventions were of popular practice in the management of children with ASD, including elimination (gluten-/casein-free diet and oligoantigenic diet), modification (modified ketogenic diet), supplementation (minerals, vitamins, omega 3, and omega 6), and exclusion (food additives). Studies showed different results with varying degrees of evidence. Overall, data were inadequate to make accurate conclusions. CONCLUSION: There is little evidence to support the use of dietary interventions for children with ASD. Additional high-quality studies and further research are, therefore, needed.

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May the best friend be an enemy if not recognized early: possible role of omega-3 against cardiovascular abnormalities due antipsychotics in the treatment of autism

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/s0004-282x2009000500031 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 67 (3b) ◽

pp. 922-926 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Roberta M. Cysneiros ◽

Vera C. Terra ◽

Hélio R. Machado ◽

Ricardo M. Arida ◽

José Salomão Schwartzman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Sudden Cardiac Death ◽

Cardiac Death ◽

Protective Role ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Antipsychotic Treatment ◽

Omega 3 Fatty Acids ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Qt Interval Prolongation

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopment disorders that cause severe and pervasive impairment in socialization, communication, and behavior. Although the availability of antipsychotic treatment in ASD has expanded, we will be very careful with side effects of these pharmacological agents. Following this reasoning, emerging data indicate that some antipsychotics may be associated with cardiovascular adverse events (e.g., QT interval prolongation), suggesting that this could be correlated to sudden death. Quite interesting, substantial evidence from epidemiological and case-control studies indicates that omega-3 reduces the risk of cardiovascular mortality, particularly sudden cardiac death. In accordance to the above mentioned findings, as omega-3 fatty acids per se have a direct cardiovascular protective role, our paper hypothesized that omega-3 fatty acids supplementation in ASD patients treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs may reduce cardiac arrhythmias and hence sudden cardiac death.

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