Features of the nutritional status and nutrition of children with autistic disorders

In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). According to the Ministry of Health of Russia, the incidence of ASD in children under 2 years of age is 5:10 000, at the age of 4 years - 18:10 000. ASD is a complex multisystem disease that affects metabolic and neurobiological processes. The aim of the research was to analyze the dietary habits of children with autism spectrum disorders. In ASD, physical developmental disorders occur, both in the direction of increasing and decreasing body weight, which is accompanied by pathology of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and eating disorders. Diseases of the digestive system are associated with both inflammatory and functional disorders in the GIT, changes in the immune status, autonomic tone of the nervous system and the composition of the GIT microbiota. Eating disorders in children with ASD lead to negative changes in the child's nutritional status and aggravates the course of gastrointestinal diseases. Nutritional status in children with ASD is characterized by an excess of calories in the diet (or a sharp decrease in it), excessive consumption of fat, sugar and salt, deficiency of vitamins, carotenoids, mineral substances (calcium in 45.1%, lithium in 30-35%, potassium in 70% of children with ASD). It has been found that nutritional deficiencies in ASD exacerbate neuropsychiatric symptoms. Lack of vitamins leads to metabolic disorders, delayed physical and mental development, rapid fatigue, endocrine dysfunction, and aggravation of the symptoms of ASD. Conclusion. Nutritional adjustments in children with ASD can lead to an improvement in non-verbal IQ and a decrease in the clinical manifestations of autism. The issue of developing recommendations for the organization of nutrition for children with ASD in educational institutions remains highly relevant.