Meguid Nagwa, Anwar Mona, Zaki Safaa, Kandeel Wafaa, Ahmed Nihad, Tewfik Ihab
National Research Centre, Research on Children with Special Needs Department, Giza, Egypt.
National Research Centre, Child Health Department, Giza, Egypt.
Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2015 Jun 15;3(2):262-7. doi: 10.3889/oamjms.2015.051. Epub 2015 May 7.
In the hope to assist in tailoring individualized nutritional therapy, this study aimed to assess the nutritional status of autistic children.
This cross-sectional study included 80 autistic children, divided into two groups: group 1 (aged 3- 5 years) and group 2 (aged 6-9 years). Diagnosis was performed based on the criteria for autistic disorder as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised and Autism Rating Scale.
Socio-demographic data, anthropometric measurements and dietary intake patterns were recorded using a validated questionnaire. The daily intakes of calories and nutrients were converted to percentages of the Recommended Dietary Allowance or Dietary Reference Intake based on age- and gender-normalized DRIs. Plotting on the Egyptian sex-specific growth chart, BMI-z scores of both age groups were slightly overweight. Autistic children suffered inadequate intake of some micronutrients such as vitamin D and C, calcium, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron, some deficiencies were highly significant especially at older age.
Tailoring a specially designed balanced diet with appropriate micronutrient supplementation may ameliorate the severity of autism symptoms and related abnormal behaviours.
为了有助于制定个性化营养治疗方案，本研究旨在评估自闭症儿童的营养状况。
这项横断面研究纳入了80名自闭症儿童，分为两组：第1组（3至5岁）和第2组（6至9岁）。诊断依据《精神疾病诊断与统计手册》第四版、《自闭症诊断访谈修订版》和《自闭症评定量表》中规定的自闭症障碍标准进行。
使用经过验证的问卷记录社会人口统计学数据、人体测量数据和饮食摄入模式。根据年龄和性别标准化的膳食参考摄入量，将每日卡路里和营养素摄入量换算为推荐膳食摄入量或膳食参考摄入量的百分比。根据埃及特定性别的生长图表，两个年龄组的体重指数z评分均略超重。自闭症儿童某些微量营养素摄入不足，如维生素D和C、钙、叶酸、镁、磷、锌和铁，一些缺乏情况非常显著，尤其是在年龄较大时。
制定专门设计的均衡饮食并适当补充微量营养素可能会改善自闭症症状的严重程度及相关异常行为。
