Core Symptoms of Autism Improved After Vitamin D Supplementation

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors. Among the environmental factors, vitamin D 3 (cholecaliferol) seems to play a significant role in the etiology of ASD because this vitamin is important for brain development. Lower concentrations of vitamin D 3 may lead to increased brain size, altered brain shape, and enlarged ventricles, which have been observed in patients with ASD. Vitamin D 3 is converted into 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 in the liver. Higher serum concentrations of this steroid may reduce the risk of autism. Importantly, children with ASD are at an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency, possibly due to environmental factors. It has also been suggested that vitamin D 3 deficiency may cause ASD symptoms. Here, we report on a 32-month-old boy with ASD and vitamin D 3 deficiency. His core symptoms of autism improved significantly after vitamin D 3 supplementation. This case suggests that vitamin D 3 may play an important role in the etiology of ASD, stressing the importance of clinical assessment of vitamin D 3 deficiency and the need for vitamin D 3 supplementation in case of deficiency.

Lack of effect of vitamin D3supplementation in autism: a 20-week, placebo-controlled RCT

“…Furthermore, an early report of vitamin D supplementation providing protective and restorative effects on ASD features in rat pups24 increased interest in the therapeutic potential of vitamin D for ASD. This was followed by a case study reporting improvement of core ASD symptoms following 150 000 IU/month for 2 months+400 IU/day in a 32 month-old Chinese boy with VDD and ASD 25. Subsequently, two open-label studies were published.…”

“…VDD has been implicated in the development of ASD symptoms in an animal model 24. Low-level evidence based on a single case report25 and two open-label studies support the role of vitamin D supplementation in ASD 26 27. Additionally, a single, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial reported benefit of supplementation in ASD 28.…”

Association Between Atopic Dermatitis and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review

“…Recently, maternal/neonatal VD, in particular VD 3 , deficiency has been proposed as a possible environmental risk factor for ASD [105,106] due to its involvement in early brain development [107], immune system modulation [108], and gene regulation [109].…”

Immunological Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Potential Target for Therapy

“…Mostafa and Al-Ayadhi [141] reported that vitamin D deficiency could be involved in autoantibody production in patients with autism, and Cannell [146] suggested that vitamin D may reduce the severity of autism symptoms by its anti-inflammatory activity. A case report [147], along with open and controlled trials [142,148], observed an ASD symptom scores reduction after vitamin D 3 supplementation. However, recent placebo-controlled clinical trials have found divergent results following vitamin D 3 supplementation for ASD [149,150].…”