The status of dietary fatty acids intake in the autistic children: a case-control study

Background: Deficiencies or imbalances in dietary fat intake may influence on mental and neurological functions of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This study aimed to compare the amount of fatty acids intake in the autistic cases with the healthy controls. Methods: This case-control was carried out on 200 randomly selected children (100 autistic cases and 100 healthy controls) in Tehran, Iran. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess the intake of calorie, macronutrients, and dietary fatty acids including saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), linoleic acid (LA), α-Linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and trans fatty acids. Results: No significant difference was found in the amount of dietary calorie, protein, carbohydrate, and total fat intake between two groups. In terms of the type of dietary fatty acids, the amount of MUFAs (OR: 3.18(1.13-4.56); p=0.04), PUFAs (OR: 4.12(2.01-6.25); p=0.01), and LA (4.76(1.34-14.32); p=0.01) were significantly higher in ASD children compared to the control group. The amounts of ALA, EPA, DHA, SFA, and trans fatty acid were not significantly different between two groups. Conclusions: The autistic children had higher unsaturated fatty acids intake except for omega-3 fatty acids. Future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine the underlying mechanisms of possible associations between unsaturated fatty acids intake and ASD.