Food hypersensitivity among children with autism spectrum disorder

Objective. To evaluate the prevalence and impact of food hypersensitivity on the clinical manifestations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children and the efficacy of rotation and elimination diet for their correction. Patients and methods. This study included 44 patients with ASD and 41 patients without ASD (comparison group) aged 3–8 years. To assess food hypersensitivity, allergen-specific IgE testing to 27 food products was performed at the beginning of the study and 6 months after following a rotation and elimination diet. Dietary pattern was determined using a specially designed questionnaire recording the frequency of consumption of various foods. Neuropsychiatric development (NPD) was assessed in patients with ASD. Results. The identification of allergen-specific IgE to 27 food products revealed statistically significantly higher levels of antibodies to most foods in patients with ASD compared to the comparison group (p < 0.05) in the absence of clinical manifestations of allergy, as well as in the presence of food selectivity in the group of children with ASD (81.8% vs 24.4%). The majority of children with ASD (86.3%) were able to follow the dietary recommendations; after 6 months, IgE levels to many foods decreased statistically significantly (p < 0.05) in this patient group. The assessment of NPD at baseline showed that up to 93.2% of children with ASD had some neuropsychiatric disorders, but in 70% of cases, NPD improved with the diet. Conclusion. Food hypersensitivity is common in children with ASD. It can both be accompanied by allergic symptoms and affect neuropsychiatric development. The prescription of rotation diet as a mild correction option has proven to be beneficial, primarily by relieving the neuropsychiatric symptoms of ASD. Key words: children, food allergy, food hypersensitivity, autism spectrum disorder, rotation diet