Nutritional characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder

The aim: to characterize the nutritional characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), taking into account individual sensory strategies, as well as to evaluate the relationship of sensory avoidance and sensory search with food choice and the nature of gastrointestinal complaints. Materials and methods: а single-center observational analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 105 children with a verified diagnosis of ASD aged 3 to 17 years. Based on a clinical examination and a questionnaire, the parents (legal representatives) of the children were divided into a control group without eating disorders (n=31) and a main group with eating disorders (n=74). The original author’s questionnaire developed on the basis of Sensory Profile-2, BAMBI and CFNS (Cronbach’s α = 0.75) was used to evaluate sensory factors. Additionally, the structure of the diet, behavioral features of food intake and complaints from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) were analyzed. Statistical analysis included descriptive methods and Spearman’s correlation analysis (p <0.05). Results: in the group of children with eating disorders, sensory avoidance was detected in 61%, sensory search in 27%, and mixed type in 12%. Sensory avoidance was associated with a preference for homogeneous foods of neutral taste and temperature, dietary restriction, and a higher incidence of constipation. Sensory search was characterized by a desire for intense gustatory and textural stimuli, picacism, and a tendency to loose stools and abdominal pain. Statistically significant correlations were found between sensory triggers, the choice of food categories, and functional symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract. Conclusion: eating disorders in children with ASD are formed within the framework of various sensory strategies that determine both the structure of the diet and the nature of gastrointestinal complaints. Consideration of the child’s sensory phenotype is a prerequisite for a personalized approach to the diagnosis and correction of nutritional and functional gastrointestinal disorders.

ASD, nutrition, sensory dysfunction, sensory avoidance, sensory search, gastrointestinal symptoms, children

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