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Nutritional Status of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs): A Case–Control Study

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Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have problems of food selectivity, implying risks of nutritional deficiencies. The aim was to compare intakes of macro and micronutrients and body mass index in ASD and typically developing (TD) children. In a case–control study, 3-day food diaries and anthropometric measurements were completed for ASD (n = 40) and TD (n = 113) children (aged 6–10 years) living in the same area. Body mass indices were below the 5th percentile in 20 % of ASD versus 8.85 % of TD children. We found intakes were lower for fluoride (p = 0.017) and higher for vitamin E (p = 0.001). There was limited food variety and inadequacy of some intakes suggests that routine monitoring of ASD children should include assessment of their dietary habits, as well as anthropometric measurements.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of the Autism Project Association (ASPAU), Fundació Mira´m in Valencia, and Colegio San Cristóbal de Picassent (Valencia), as well as the children who participated in the study and their parents. We are also grateful for support from colleagues at the Dr. Peset University Hospital (Valencia, Spain). No external funding was received for this study. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of editors of Ideas Need Communicating Language Services with the preparation of this manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Public Health and Environmental Care, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Valencia, Avd. Vicente Andres Estellés S/N, 46100, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain

    Salvador Marí-Bauset, Agustín Llopis-González & María Morales-Suárez-Varela

  2. CIBER - Epidemiology and Public Health (CB06/02/0045), Valencia, Spain

    Agustín Llopis-González & María Morales-Suárez-Varela

  3. Center for Public Health Research (CSISP-FISABIO), Valencia, Spain

    Agustín Llopis-González & María Morales-Suárez-Varela

  4. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Itziar Zazpe-García

  5. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Unit, Navarra Hospital Complex, Navarra, Spain

    Amelia Marí-Sanchis

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  1. Salvador Marí-Bauset
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  2. Agustín Llopis-González
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Correspondence to María Morales-Suárez-Varela.

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Marí-Bauset, S., Llopis-González, A., Zazpe-García, I. et al. Nutritional Status of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs): A Case–Control Study. J Autism Dev Disord 45, 203–212 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2205-8

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