DHA and ASD
DHA is a safe medication that can be given to pregnant moms. There are more benefits to DHA compared to its risk. I have prescribed DHA even to a patient with ADHD with some improvement. Recently, I recommended DHA to one of my patient with Restless Leg Syndrome. I saw the mother a few months ago and she said the DHA is helping her son. I just talked with mother who has a two year old son with Autism. I recommended DHA and she told me that her son has less flapping of her arms. The arm flapping is more if she does not give the DHA.
Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Aug 22; [Epub ahead of print]
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation in Children with Autism: A Double-blind Randomized, Placebo-controlled Pilot Study.
· Amminger GP,
· Berger GE,
· Schafer MR,
· Klier C,
· Friedrich MH,
· Feucht M.
Department of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry (GPA, MRS, CK, MHF, MF), Medical University of Vienna; Vienna, Austria; and ORYGEN Research Centre (GPA, GEB), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that fatty acid deficiencies or imbalances may contribute to childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 6-week pilot trial investigating the effects of 1.5 g/d of omega-3 fatty acids (.84 g/d eicosapentaenoic acid, .7 g/d docosahexaenoic acid) supplementation in 13 children (aged 5 to 17 years) with autistic disorders accompanied by severe tantrums, aggression, or self-injurious behavior. The outcome measure was the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) at 6 weeks. RESULTS: We observed an advantage of omega-3 fatty acids compared with placebo for hyperactivity and stereotypy, each with a large effect size. Repeated-measures ANOVA indicated a trend toward superiority of omega-3 fatty acids over placebo for hyperactivity. No clinically relevant adverse effects were elicited in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide preliminary evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may be an effective treatment for children with autism.