Nutritional approaches used in the complex therapy of children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

The article discusses the modern scientific data demonstrating the influence of intrauterine and early postnatal macro- and microelement deficiency on fetal neurogenesis and further cognitive development of the child. The features of the development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are given, including the formation of eating behavior, manifestations of selectivity in food within the framework of sensory disintegration, self-restriction of the diet due to «novelty avoidance». Nutritional disorders in children with ASD, observed from an early age, are often accompanied, or cause the manifestation of gastroenterological disorders that require timely treatment, including diet therapy. The feeding difficulties faced by the family of a child with ASD often push parents to self-treat with various diets, the balance and effectiveness of which are often very questionable. The article discusses the positive effects of diets prescribed and controlled by nutritionists and discusses the risks of self-treatment. The authors emphasize the necessity of correcting eating disorders in children with ASD and the importance of a gastroenterologist and nutritionist participation in the interdisciplinary complex support of children with ASD.