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Imbalanced nutrition and increased dietary inflammatory index in children with autism spectrum disorder: associations with neurodevelopmental disorders
The increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) raises important questions about potential contributing factors, including nutritional intake. This research aimed to investigate how diet might relate to neurodevelopmental outcomes among children with ASDs.
The study utilized a case–control cross-sectional design, enrolling 50 children diagnosed with ASDs and 50 typically developing (TD) peers. A larger cohort of 500 children with neurodevelopmental issues and 500 TD children was initially recruited to analyze inflammation levels. Diagnostic classifications for ASDs followed DSM-5 criteria, confirmed by experienced pediatricians. Dietary assessments, physical evaluations, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) were administered to all participants.
Findings indicated that children with ASDs had significantly higher scores on the dietary inflammatory index (C-DII), systemic immune inflammatory index (SII), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) than their TD counterparts (p<0.05). Notably, a positive correlation was identified between C-DII and SII (r = 0.323, p = 0.022), as well as SIRI (r = 0.283, p = 0.046). Furthermore, dietary variety was less pronounced among the ASD group, which also exhibited a higher inclination towards selective eating behaviors. After adjusting for demographic factors, the results suggested that C-DII was associated with ASD, with an odds ratio of 1.842 (95% CI: 1.114–3.046, p = 0.017).
The concluding observations reveal that children with ASDs tend to have higher C-DII scores. While this study emphasizes an association between dietary inflammatory patterns and neurodevelopmental challenges in ASD, it stops short of inferring a direct causal relationship. Alterations in dietary habits may be a modifiable factor associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in these children. [NPID: autism spectrum disorder, ASD, Children’s Dietary Inflammatory Index, C-DII, systemic immune inflammatory index, SII, systemic inflammatory response index, SIRI, dietary diversity, picky eating, neurodevelopment, case-control study, inflammatory dietary patterns]
Year: 2025
