Submit to Nutrients Review for Nutrients Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Dietary Patterns: Do Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Eat Differently?

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 March 2024) | Viewed by 7750

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Laura María Compañ Gabucio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, University Miguel Hernandez, 03550 Alicante, Spain
Interests: epidemiology; nutrition; reviews; neurodevelopment; infancy and occupational therapy

Dr. Laura Torres-Collado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Unit of Nutritional Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, History of Medicine and Gynecology, University Miguel Hernández, 03550 Alacant, Spain
Interests: epidemiology; nutrition; reviews; chronic diseases; mortality and coffee
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Manuela García de la Hera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Unit of Nutritional Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, History of Medicine and Gynecology, University Miguel Hernández, 03550 Alacant, Spain
Interests: epidemiology; nutrition; reviews; chronic diseases; mortality; neurodevelopment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The relationship between nutrition and neurodevelopmental disorders is of great importance in childhood and presents several possibilities for research. Eating and feeding disturbances in children are understudied health conditions that can lead to physical and psychosocial comorbidities. Eating disorders are mainly characterized by atypical eating behaviors, associated emotional and cognitive alterations, and dysregulated body weight. Atypical eating behaviors are especially common in children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, possibly due to sensory processing alterations. Some evidence supports the theory that sensory processing disorders can impact food acceptance and consequently alter children’s diet and/or trigger feeding disorders. Currently, the DSM-5 Feeding and Eating Disorders section includes new feeding disorders, such as avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, pica, and rumination disorder, as well as some forms of non-normative eating behaviors, such as loss of control eating. Emerging evidence suggests that these new feeding disorders can be more prevalent in children with neurodevelopmental disorders because of sensory processing concerns and routines as well as rituals around food; however, there is a lack of research on feeding and eating disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and we hope that this Special Issue will serve to fill existing knowledge gaps.

We encourage all researchers involved in the world of neurodevelopmental disorders (occupational therapists, nutritionists, nurses, psychologists, physicians, and epidemiologists) to submit their research to this Special Issue and shed light on this unknown, interesting, and relevant topic. We welcome related original research articles, clinical studies, and review articles that focus on nutrition, diet, eating behaviors, and/or routines around food in relation to neurodevelopmental childhood disorders, as well as dietary evaluations in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Thank you for considering this Special Issue as an outlet for your research on dietary patterns in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr. Laura María Compañ
Dr. Laura Torres-Collado
Prof. Dr. Manuela García de la Hera
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

diet
nutrition
dietary evaluation
eating patterns
eating behaviors
food routines
food acceptance
food selectivity
feeding problems
atypical eating behaviors
avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
autism spectrum disorder
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
alexithymia
interoception
sensory processing
neurodevelopment
cognitive function

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

10 pages, 675 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eating Behavior and Nutritional Profile of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Reference Center in the Amazon

by Rayanne Vieira da Silva and Daniela Lopes Gomes

Nutrients 2024, 16(3), 452; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16030452 - 04 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1431

Abstract

There is no single pattern for the evolution of the nutritional status of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies have found a tendency towards food selectivity with food monotony and difficulties with food texture in children with ASD, but studies in this area, especially in Brazil, are still scarce. The nutritional profile and changes in eating behavior were analyzed in patients with autism spectrum disorder assisted at a reference center in Belém. Eating behavior was assessed using the Labyrinth Scale, nutritional status assessment through weight and height (to calculate body mass index—BMI), and consumption food through the 24 h reminder. A total of 80 children of both sexes participated in the study, the majority of whom were male (80%), 47.5% eutrophic, while for the food consumption of the children evaluated, there was an average energy consumption of 1911 kcal daily, with 57.3%, 15.4%, and 27.3% of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, respectively. In relation to eating behavior, the highest averages were demonstrated in the domains of food selectivity, behavioral aspects, and mealtime skills. Masticatory motor scores showed a positive correlation with weight, BMI, and the amount of energy consumed by the child. The gastrointestinal symptoms score showed a negative correlation with the child’s age. Regarding mealtime skills, a negative correlation was observed with the proportion of carbohydrates in the diet and a positive correlation with the proportion of lipids consumed in the children’s diet. Therefore, knowing the main changes in eating behavior is important to ensure a complete and safe approach for each patient. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Patterns: Do Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Eat Differently?)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1438 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Anxiety following Taste Education Intervention: Fussy Eating Children with and without Neurodevelopmental Disorders

by Sigrun Thorsteinsdottir, Anna S. Olafsdottir, Olof U. Traustadottir and Urdur Njardvik

Nutrients 2023, 15(22), 4783; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15224783 - 15 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1479

Abstract

Despite the surge in studies on fussy eating in recent years, anxiety as an associated factor is generally not considered, even though children with fussy eating and those with neurodevelopmental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often have higher levels of anxiety than typically developing children. The current study investigated changes in anxiety scores during a Taste Education intervention, a seven-week school-based intervention for 71 children with fussy eating. Comparisons were made based on neurodevelopmental status (between children with (n = 30) and without (n = 41) neurodevelopmental disorders). Participants were paired based on age, sex, and neurodevelopmental disorder. The Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) was administered at delayed intervention (for those waiting 7 weeks before starting the intervention), pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at six-month follow-up. Results did not indicate elevated anxiety based on mean MASC T-scores. MASC Total T-scores ranged from slightly elevated to average, decreasing significantly between pre-intervention and post-intervention, plateauing at six-month follow-up. Significant reductions between measurement points were seen for the physical symptoms, social anxiety, and separation anxiety subscales, but not for harm avoidance. Repeated measures analysis of variance with neurodevelopmental disorders as between-subjects factors did not reveal a significant interaction effect between neurodevelopmental disorders and changes in MASC Total score or subscales. The results indicated that our food-based intervention did not elevate MASC scores in fussy eating children, with or without neurodevelopmental disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Patterns: Do Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Eat Differently?)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

22 pages, 663 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review of the Nutritional Approach and the Role of Dietary Components in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Light of the Latest Scientific Research

by Seda Önal, Monika Sachadyn-Król and Małgorzata Kostecka

Nutrients 2023, 15(23), 4852; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15234852 - 21 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2910

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects several areas of mental development. The onset of ASD occurs in the first few years of life, usually before the age of 3 years. Proper nutrition is important to ensure that an individual’s nutrient and energy requirements are met, and it can also have a moderating effect on the progression of the disorder. A systematic database search was conducted as a narrative review to determine whether nutrition and specific diets can potentially alter gastrointestinal symptoms and neurobehavioral disorders. Databases such as Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and Google Scholar were searched to find studies published between 2000 and September 2023 on the relationship between ASD, dietary approaches, and the role of dietary components. The review may indicate that despite extensive research into dietary interventions, there is a general lack of conclusive scientific data about the effect of therapeutic diets on ASD; therefore, no definitive recommendation can be made for any specific nutritional therapy as a standard treatment for ASD. An individualized dietary approach and the dietician’s role in the therapeutic team are very important elements of every therapy. Parents and caregivers should work with nutrition specialists, such as registered dietitians or healthcare providers, to design meal plans for autistic individuals, especially those who would like to implement an elimination diet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Patterns: Do Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Eat Differently?)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 872 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Scoping Review of Tools to Assess Diet in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

by Laura María Compañ-Gabucio, Carolina Ojeda-Belokon, Laura Torres-Collado and Manuela García-de-la-Hera

Nutrients 2023, 15(17), 3748; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15173748 - 27 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1507

Abstract

Eating is considered one of the activities of daily living most affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents and, therefore, needs to be thoroughly assessed using specific tools. The aim of this scoping review was to describe the most widely used tool to assess diet in children and adolescents with ASD. A search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science and PsycINFO databases. Two authors screened the articles and included all randomized or non-randomized studies published in English or Spanish in the last five years in which the diet of children and adolescents with ASD was assessed. Fifteen studies were included in this review. Mealtime behaviour was the most assessed variable in the included studies (n = 7). Thirteen different assessment tools were identified to evaluate the diet of children and adolescents with ASD, mainly at ages 2–12 (n = 11). The Brief Assessment scale for Mealtime Behavior in Children (BAMBI) and 24-h recalls were the most commonly used dietary assessment tools in the included studies. Our results can help professionals in the selection of an optimal scale to assess diet in children and adolescents with ASD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Patterns: Do Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Eat Differently?)

► Show Figures