Picky Eating an Early Sign of Autism
It is well established that early intervention for children on the autism spectrum can be very beneficial. From a functional neurology standpoint, we know that the brain is more plastic or changeable at younger ages and less changeable at older ages. It is important to note that the old adage that a child would no longer progress after his sixth birthday is no longer accurate. The brain can change from birth to death. It is true however that younger brains are easier to work with than older brains. For this reason any factor that can help identify a child at risk sooner than later is a positive contribution to the autism community and one that should be publicized to the general public. In this case we have a bedside type marker that may aid in the identification of a child at early stages so that he or she may get the appropriate intervention sooner rather than later. The beauty of this factor is that it does not require any expensive testing or access. Thus whether you are the wealthiest of parents in a major metropolitan area or the poorest of parent in a rural or medically under served area this information will benefit you. As always, if you meet some of the known risk factors for having a child on the autism spectrum such as older age or family history it would be a good idea to scrutinize this factor more diligently. It seems that picky eating (choosy), difficulty moving to solids may be a factor in predicting those that may fall into the autism spectrum. The study released in the Journal of pediatrics is shown below. This is a beautiful tool for parents who are concerned that their children may be suspicious for falling on the autism spectrum. Most mothers are very in tune with their child’s feeding and eating habits. This is a study that should get a lot of attention as using this as a method is readily available and accessible to all. This of course is only one part of a clinical picture that needs to be put together and should not be considered a diagnosis on its own. But it may be a major clue to help parents get help for their children as soon as possible.
Pediatrics.2010 Aug;126(2):e337-42. Epub 2010 Jul 19.
Feeding symptoms, dietary patterns, and growth in young children with autism spectrum disorders.
Emond A, Emmett P, Steer C, Golding J.
Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, Barley House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, UK.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feeding, diet and growth of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
METHOD: Data on feeding and food frequency were collected by questionnaires completed at 6, 15, 24, 38 and 54 months by participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. A food variety score was created, and the content of the diet was calculated at 38 m. The feeding and dietary patterns of 79 children with ASD were compared with 12 901 controls.
RESULTS: The median ages of ASD children were 28 months at referral and 45 months at diagnosis. ASD infants showed late introduction of solids after 6 months (p = .004) and were described as “slow feeders” at 6 months (p = .04). From 15-54 months ASD children were consistently reported to be “difficult to feed” (p < .001) and “very choosy” (p < .001). From 15 months, the ASD group had a less varied diet than controls, were more likely to have different meals from their mother from 24 months, and by 54 months 8% of ASD children were taking a special diet for “allergy.” ASD children consumed less vegetables, salad and fresh fruit, but also less sweets and fizzy drinks. At 38 months intakes of energy, total fat, carbohydrate and protein were similar, but the ASD group consumed less vitamins C (p = .02) and D (p = .003). There were no differences in weight, height or BMI at 18 months and 7 years, or in hemoglobin concentrations at 7 years.
CONCLUSIONS: ASD children showed feeding symptoms from infancy and had a less varied diet from 15 months, but energy intake and growth were not impaired.
PMID: 20643716 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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