Efficacy of Vitamin D Supplementation on Bone Mineral Density and Vitamin D Binding Protein in Children with Autism

Abstract

This study aimed to assess vitamin D, VDBP, bone mineral density and calcium status in autistic children, comparing it to typically developing children, also to question the benefit of using oral vitamin D daily supplementation for 4 months on the autistic children’s outcome. The study was conducted on 30 autistics recruited from the Autism Disorders Clinic, Medical Research Centre of Excellence, and National Research Centre. Their age ranging from 3-7 years. Patients were randomly supplemented with vitamin D in a dose of 600 IU/day for 4 months. Thirty healthy children were included as controls, with matched age, sex and socioeconomic status to the study group. Exclusion criteria for the patients’ group were known genetic syndromes, static or progressive neurologic conditions, children on dietary restriction, non -ambulatory patients, and patients on drugs that affect vitamin D metabolism. Regarding the exclusion criteria of the control group, they were not on either vitamin D supplementation or drugs that affect vitamin D metabolism recruited from the siblings of the attendants of the outpatient Pediatric clinic.The study was approved by the Ethics Committee at Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University and National Research Center. All patients were subjected to careful history taking, thorough clinical and neurological examination, other outcomes that included CARS, ADIR, DEXA (lumber and femur neck) and withdrawal of blood sample for 25(OH) D, VDBP and calcium levels. All the above parameters were repeated twice, at the beginning and at the end of the four months supplementation period.