An Examination of the Effect of Parent-Centered Nutrition Education on the Oxidant-Antioxidant Parameters of Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background:

This study examined the effect of nutrition education given by dietitians to families of children aged 3–18 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on meal consumption, eating behaviors, autism severity, serum oxidant/antioxidant marker levels, and total dietary antioxidant capacity.

Methods:

The project was carried out with 44 pediatric patients diagnosed with ASD and their parents. The ELISA method was used for antioxidant and oxidant measurements, and the oxygen radical absorbance capacity values ​​of foods defined according to the BeBiS program were used to calculate the total dietary antioxidant capacity. The children's eating behavior questionnaire, childhood autism rating scale (CARS), and brief autism mealtime behavior inventory (BAMBI) were administered.

Results:

There was no significant difference in antioxidant and oxidant parameters between the experimental and control groups. At the end of eight weeks, superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels increased significantly in the experimental group. There was no significant difference in terms of the families of the autistic children in the experimental and control groups or their disease-specific knowledge. BAMBI scores were similar between the groups at baseline, while a significant decrease was observed in the experimental group at the end of the study. Daily energy, saturated fatty acid (SFA), carbohydrate, and omega-6 intake decreased, while protein, fat, mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acid, and omega-3 intake increased in the experimental group following nutrition education. However, these results were not statistically significant. There was no significant difference in terms of micronutrient intake between children with ASD in experimental and control groups before and after nutrition education.

Conclusion:

Improvements in eating habits and dietary patterns were noted after nutrition education, especially in the experimental group, even though there were no appreciable changes in oxidative stress indicators. These behavioral shifts imply that family nutrition education can be extremely important in encouraging better eating practices and improving the general well-being of kids with ASD and their families.