Clinical and nutritional profile of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder in Brazil: a nationwide online survey
Objective: To characterize the clinical and nutritional profile of children and adolescents with ASD in Brazil and their eating problems. Method: This is a cross-sectional study using a national online survey, with a sample of 613 children and adolescents with ASD aged between 2 and 17 years. Data a...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Jornal de Pediatria |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021755725000725 |
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| Summary: | Objective: To characterize the clinical and nutritional profile of children and adolescents with ASD in Brazil and their eating problems. Method: This is a cross-sectional study using a national online survey, with a sample of 613 children and adolescents with ASD aged between 2 and 17 years. Data analysis consisted of descriptive analysis, followed by Pearson's chi-square test with a statistical significance of 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval. Results: Food allergy was reported by 33.8% of the participants, the most frequent being cow's milk (70.2%), among those who reported gastrointestinal problems, constipation was the most frequent (54.1%). The presence of pica was reported by 25% and food selectivity was present in 77.2%, with greater refusal of fruit, vegetables and pasty textures. Most of the participants do not have follow-ups with a nutritionist and 44.5% are on some special diet, excluding gluten/wheat (75.4%) and without casein/animal milk (76.1%). More than half of the participants did not eat fruit (50.6%), vegetables (68.1%), or leafy greens (83.6%) frequently. A positive correlation was found between food selectivity and gastrointestinal symptoms (p-value < 0.050); food allergy and gastrointestinal symptoms (p-value < 0.001) and pica and gastrointestinal symptoms (p-value < 0.001). Conclusions: The results of this study show changes in food consumption and increased risk of nutritional deficiencies for children and adolescents with ASD in Brazil. |
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| ISSN: | 0021-7557 |