Dietary supplements, especially multivitamin/minerals, were used by 56% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The most common micronutrient deficits were not corrected (vitamin D, calcium, potassium, pantothenic acid, and choline) by supplements. Almost one-third of children remained deficient for vitamin D and up to 54% for calcium. Children receiving gluten/casein-free diet diets had similar micronutrient intake but were more likely to use supplements (78% vs 56%; P=0.01). Supplementation led to excess vitamin A, folate, and zinc intake across the sample, vitamin C, and copper among children aged 2 to 3 years, and manganese and copper for children aged 4 to 8 years.
Conclusions
Multivitamin/mineral supplementss are the most common nutritional supplements given to children to ensure nutrient adequacy. However,most multivitamin/mineral supplementss do not provide sufficient amounts of the micronutrients typically consumed in inadequate amounts by children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders. Instead, they often provide more of the micronutrients already consumed in sufficient amounts. This can lead to excessive intake that may place children at risk for adverse effects. Two of the micronutrients of greatest concern in this sample of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders are vitamin D and calcium. Even after supplementation, a large percentage of children did not meet recommended intake levels for these micronutrients. Excess micronutrient intake, both from diet and from supplements, is a concern for vitamin A, folic acid, and zinc. Children provided with GFCF diets achieve similar micronutrient adequacy from food, but are more likely to take nutritional supplements. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders should be screened regularly for nutrient adequacy and asked about food and supplement intake in the context of their well child care. A registered dietitian nutritionist should be consulted if nutrient deficiencies or excess are suspected