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Short-term use of vitamin D = placebo in children with autism
Clinical Question
Does vitamin D improve behaviors in children with autism?
Bottom line
Vitamin D supplementation in children with autism increases vitamin D levels but has no effect on stereotypical behaviors. 1b-
Reference
Study design: Randomized controlled trial (double-blinded)
Funding: Foundation
Setting: Outpatient (primary care)
Synopsis
These researchers randomized 42 children with autism recruited from several settings in Ireland—specialty clinics, outpatient clinics, and providers of community services—to receive vitamin D 2000 IU daily or placebo for 20 weeks. Four of the children randomized to receive vitamin D dropped out due to inconvenience of the follow-up schedule. The researchers assayed blood and administered several validated scales to assess various behaviors. As you might imagine in a small study, the researchers found some minor imbalances in baseline characteristics between the 2 groups. At the end of 20 weeks, stereotypical behaviors decreased in both groups, but the degree of improvement was not statistically significantly different. In fact, the degree of decrease was greater in the placebo group! The children treated with vitamin D had statistically significantly greater improvement in self-care scores, while the placebo-treated children had slightly significantly greater improvement in inappropriate speech scores. There were no significant differences in irritability, lethargy, hyperactivity, communication, school behaviors, social behavior, or other biochemical parameters. Oh, there was one thing: Vitamin D levels increased in the children treated with vitamin D (woohoo). With a study this small and with a fair number of outcome assessments,it is not clear how much of these differences would persist in a larger study.
Reviewer
Henry C. Barry, MD, MS
Professor
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Comments
I have not had any parents ask about vit D and autism behaviours. The hypothesis does not even seem clinically likely. But I am happy to have a qualified evidence based answer for a parent who asks.
Good poem
The inappropriate attempt to be funny in this review misses a number of relevant points.
Vitamin D is a pro-hormone, thus has effects on at least 2000 genes. It is quite reasonable to do small studies to identify where it might have potential. This is one. It is a major failing of many studies that absorption is not addressed, and failure to do levels was one critical reason behind failure of other studies. This review comes across as childish.
This is more typical entrenched medical approach, trying to find 1 supplement which will by itself, resolve a complex problem. Those days are gone- It is long overdue for medicine and researchers to look at more broad spectrum approach.
bad poem
I believe insufficient length of study.
Vitamin D is a marker for sun exposure and omega-3 bearing cold water fish ingestion. More of the latter means lower carbs, which means the brain gets ketones & short chain fatty acids, which it prefers over glucose.