Omega-3 fatty acids in the management of autism spectrum disorders: findings from an open-label pilot study in Singapore

The goal of this open-label trial was to examine the efficacy and safety of a 12-week omega-3 fatty acids supplementation among children suffering with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A total of 41 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years (36 boys, 5 girls; mean age = 11.66, s.d. = 3.05) diagnosed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of clinical nutrition 2015-08, Vol.69 (8), p.969-971
Main Authors: Ooi, Y P, Weng, S-J, Jang, L Y, Low, L, Seah, J, Teo, S, Ang, R P, Lim, C G, Liew, A, Fung, D S, Sung, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescents
Attention
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder - blood
Autism Spectrum Disorder - drug therapy
Autism Spectrum Disorder - psychology
Behavior Rating Scale
Blood
Blood levels
Care and treatment
Child
Children
Clinical trials
Dietary Supplements
Disorders
Fatty acids
Fatty Acids - blood
Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - therapeutic use
Female
Health aspects
Humans
Male
Nutrition
Omega 3 fatty acids
Pilot Projects
Side effects
Signs and symptoms
Singapore
Supplements
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:The goal of this open-label trial was to examine the efficacy and safety of a 12-week omega-3 fatty acids supplementation among children suffering with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A total of 41 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years (36 boys, 5 girls; mean age = 11.66, s.d. = 3.05) diagnosed with ASD participated in the study. At post-treatment, participants showed significant improvements on all subscales of the Social Responsiveness Scale (P < 0.01) and the Social and Attention Problems syndrome scales of the Child Behavior Checklist (P < 0.05). Blood fatty acid levels were significantly correlated with changes in the core symptoms of ASD. Baseline levels of blood fatty acid levels were also predictive of response to the omega-3 treatment. Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation was well-tolerated and did not cause any serious side effects. Our findings lend some preliminary support for the use of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation in addressing ASD. Future randomized controlled trials of omega-3 fatty acids in ASD with blood fatty acid measurements with a larger sample and longer follow-up period is warranted.
ISSN:0954-3007
1476-5640
DOI:10.1038/ejcn.2015.28