OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS MAY BE HELPFUL FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS(ASD)

In the study 10 children between the ages of four & seven with ASD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4(th) edition (DSM-IV), were given 1 gram of Omega-3 per day for 12 weeks. Each child received two 500mg capsules that contained 190 mg of EPA & 90 mg of DHA.

The children were evaluated before, during, and after treatment using The Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Clinical Global Impression (CGI), and Children’s Psychiatric Rating Scale (CPRS).

Of the 9 subjects who completed the study, 8 showed improvement of about 33% on the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC). None of the children experienced any side effects although 1 child deteriorated when he stopped taking the omega-3 after six weeks but improved when he began again.

The study showed the children showed improvement in core symptoms including sociability and speech.

For more on Omega-3 Fatty Acids, see http://www.thewayup.com/newsletters/081510.htm