A quarterly publication of the Autism Research Institute
Summer, 2019 | Number 3, Volume 33
Correcting the specific nutritional imbalances of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and supplementing a subgroup of them with folinic acid can significantly improve their symptoms, according to a new study.
Vincent Ramaekers and colleagues assessed the symptoms of 166 children with ASD, none of whom had ASD due to known syndromes, using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). They also performed complete blood cell counts on the children and measured their levels of iron, vitamins, coenzyme Q10, metals, and trace elements.
In addition, the researchers tested the children, their parents, and healthy controls for serum autoantibodies directed at the folate receptor alpha (FRα). These autoantibodies are known to be more common in children with ASD and their families than in the general population, and they can block folate transport from the mother to an unborn child during pregnancy as well as blocking folate transport to the brain in infants (see ARRI32/1, 2018). The researchers detected FRα autoantibodies in 75.6% of the children,34.1% of mothers, and 29.4% of fathers, versus 3.3% in controls.
Eighty-two of the children with ASD then underwent a two-year therapeutic trial designed to address their nutritional imbalances. Those with a positive test for FRα autoantibodies also received high doses of offolinic acid (a form of folate that does not require transportation by FRα). Eighty-four of the children did not receive treatment and served as controls.
The researchers report, “Compared to untreated patients with autism whose CARS score remained unchanged, a two-year treatment decreased the initial CARS score from severe to moderate or mild autism, achieving complete recovery in 17 of 82 children (20.7%).” Noting that a poorer prognosis correlated with higher FRα autoantibody titers, positive maternal FRα autoantibodies, or FRα autoantibodies in both parents, they suggest that FRα testing of prospective parents, followed by folinic acid supplementation of affected mothers before conception and during pregnancy, may be warranted.
“Improving outcome in infantile autism with folate receptor autoimmunity and nutritional derangements: a self-controlled trial,” VincentTh. Ramaekers, Jeffrey M. Sequeira, Marco Di-Duca, Géraldine Vrancken, Aurore Thomas, CélinePhilippe, Marie Peters, Annick Jadot, and EdwardV. Quadros, Autism Research and Treatment, June 18, 2019 (free online). Address: Vincent Th.Ramaekers,[email protected].
