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News › Don't Got Milk?
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Don't Got Milk?
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Posted by lightfoot on Thursday, January 31, 2008 (09:48:43)
by Kristina Chew, PhD
The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders has published a study about thin bones in boys with autism spectrum disorders by researchers from the National Institutes of Health and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Researchers x-rayed the hands of 75 autistic boys who are between the ages of 4-8 and found that, compared to boys of the same age who do not have autism, the autistic boys had significantly thinner bones. A “lack of exercise, a reluctance to eat a varied diet, lack of vitamin D, digestive problems, and diets that exclude casein, a protein found in milk and milk products,†were all cited as reasons that autistic boys might have poor bone development. From an NIH press release:
Full Article
The researchers then measured the thickness of the bone located between the knuckle of the index finger and the wrist and compared its development to a standardized reference based on a group of boys without autism.Dr. Hediger said that the research team measured cortical bone thickness. She added that this procedure was done as a substitute for a conventional bone scan, which measures bone density. Bone density is an indication of bones’ mineral content. Less dense bones may indicate a risk of bone fracture.
The researchers used the measure of bone thickness because many of the boys were unable to remain still long enough for the conventional scan, which requires individuals to lie immobile for an extended period of time. To successfully complete the bone scan, many of the boys would have required sedation  a step the researchers were reluctant to take for an early study.The hand X-ray, Dr. Hediger explained, offers an approximate indication of bone density. She added, however, that because the researchers were unable to use a conventional bone scan, the results of the current study should be confirmed by additional studies using conventional bone scans.
The investigators found that the bones of the boys with autism were growing longer but were not thickening at a normal rate. During normal bone development, material from inside the bone is transferred to the outside of the bone, increasing thickness, while at the same time, the bones are also growing longer.
The researchers particularly noted that only nine of the boys in the study were on casein-free diets, which are a type of “special diet†that some families of autistic children have tried. These diets have been popularized by parents including celebrity Jenny McCarthy who wrote about her son’s “recovery from autism†as being largely due to a special casein-free, gluten-free diet, and by Karyn Seroussi, who also attributed her son’s gains to a special diet. The researchers noted that the boys on casein-free diets had bones that were 20 percent thinner than normal for children their age and urged parents whose children are on such diets to consult with a dietician. Other reasons cited for autistic children’s deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D are aversions to food (neophobia), digestive problems that interfere with the absorption of nutrients, and a tendency to stay indoors and not get sufficient physical exercise.
My son has been casein-free for the past 8 years. I’ve been working on him taking calcium supplements and he eats lots of vegetables and fruits and shrimp; dairy products do seem (this is anecdotal) to disagree with his stomach (as is the case with other family members). He does get a lot of physical exercise, eats a fairly varied diet (he does not live on sushi alone), and he spends so much time outside once spring and summer start that he is completely tanned by June (so am I). Time to work on more tofu……
From: AutismVox
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Posted by lightfoot on Thursday, January 31, 2008 (09:48:43) (1097 reads)
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