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Abstract

Vitamin D and Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Improve Behavioural Symptoms in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder †

by
Hajar Mazahery
1,
Cathryn A. Conlon
1,
Kathryn L. Beck
1,
Owen Mugridge
1,
Marlena C. Kruger
2,3,4,
Welma Stonehouse
5,
Carlos A. Camargo Jr.
6,
Barbara J. Meyer
7,
Beatrix Jones
8,
Bobby Tsang
9 and
Pamela R. von Hurst
1,*
1
School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
2
College of Health, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
3
Massey Institute of Food Science and Technology, College of Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
4
Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
5
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Adelaide SA 5000, Australia
6
Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
7
School of Medicine, Lipid Research Centre, University of Wollongong, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
8
Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
9
Department of Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 2018 Nutrition Society of New Zealand Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 28–30 November 2018.
Proceedings 2019, 8(1), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2019008058
Published: 3 April 2019
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of 2018 Annual Meeting of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand)
Versions Notes
Background: The efficacy of vitamin D and omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3 LCPUFA), each individually, in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been tested in a few trials and the results are inconclusive. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin D (VID), omega-3 LCPUFA (OM), or both (VIDOM) on symptoms of ASD in children.
Methods: New Zealand children with ASD (age 2.5–8.0 years) participated in a 12-month randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial trial of daily 2000IU vitamin D3, 722 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both supplements, or placebo. Core symptoms were assessed using Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), sensory issues using Sensory Processing Measure (SPM), problem behaviours including irritability and hyperactivity using Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (ABC), and biomarkers (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and omega-3 index) using venous blood samples. Outcome measures were analysed pre- and post-intervention. Pair-wise mixed effects longitudinal models were used for data analysis.
Results: Overall, 62% (73/117) of children completed the study (placebo 16, VID 19, OM 23, VIDOM 15). Compared to placebo, we observed greater improvement in multiple outcomes in the intervention groups: SRS-social awareness for OM (0.4 ± 2.9 vs. −1.4 ± 2.3, p = 0.03) and VIDOM (0.4 ± 2.9 vs. −1.7 ± 3.5, p = 0.03); SRS-social communicative functioning for VIDOM (−5.6 ± 10 vs. −16 ± 24, p = 0.07); SRS-total for OM (−5.8 ± 12 vs. −17 ± 18, p = 0.08); ABC-irritability for VID (0.8 ± 6.1 vs. −4.0 ± 4.9 vs., p = 0.01) and OM (0.8 ± 6.1 vs. −5.0 ± 5.0, p = 0.001); and ABC-hyperactivity for VID (−0.8 ± 5.6 vs. −5.2 ± 6.3, p = 0.047). The active treatments led to increases in mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations (nmol/L) (VID: +27 ± 14 and VIDOM: +36 ± 17, both p < 0.001) and median omega-3 index (%) (OM: +4.4 (3.3, 5.9) and VIDOM: +4.0 (2.0, 6.0), both p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Vitamin D and omega-3 LCPUFA, each individually or together, improve some behavioural symptoms of ASD. However, large attrition rates and resultant loss of statistical power preclude definitive conclusion and warrant further trials.

Supplementary Material

The presentation is available online at www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/8/1/58/s1.

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MDPI and ACS Style

Mazahery, H.; Conlon, C.A.; Beck, K.L.; Mugridge, O.; Kruger, M.C.; Stonehouse, W.; Jr., C.A.C.; Meyer, B.J.; Jones, B.; Tsang, B.; et al. Vitamin D and Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Improve Behavioural Symptoms in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Proceedings 2019, 8, 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2019008058

AMA Style

Mazahery H, Conlon CA, Beck KL, Mugridge O, Kruger MC, Stonehouse W, Jr. CAC, Meyer BJ, Jones B, Tsang B, et al. Vitamin D and Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Improve Behavioural Symptoms in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Proceedings. 2019; 8(1):58. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2019008058

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mazahery, Hajar, Cathryn A. Conlon, Kathryn L. Beck, Owen Mugridge, Marlena C. Kruger, Welma Stonehouse, Carlos A. Camargo Jr., Barbara J. Meyer, Beatrix Jones, Bobby Tsang, and et al. 2019. "Vitamin D and Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Improve Behavioural Symptoms in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder" Proceedings 8, no. 1: 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2019008058

APA Style

Mazahery, H., Conlon, C. A., Beck, K. L., Mugridge, O., Kruger, M. C., Stonehouse, W., Jr., C. A. C., Meyer, B. J., Jones, B., Tsang, B., & Hurst, P. R. v. (2019). Vitamin D and Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Improve Behavioural Symptoms in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Proceedings, 8(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2019008058

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