Differences in food consumption and nutritional intake between children with autism spectrum disorders and typically developing children: A meta-analysis

The aims of this meta-analysis are to determine the overall differences in nutritional intake and food consumption between children with autism spectrum disorder and control (typical development) children, as well as determine the extent to which the nutritional intake and food consumption of autistic children comply with the dietary recommendations.

Children with autism spectrum disorder consume less protein (standardized mean difference = −0.27, 95% confidence interval (−0.45, −0.08)), calcium (−0.56 (−0.95, −0.16)), phosphorus (−0.23 (−0.41, −0.04)), selenium (−0.29 (−0.44, −0.13)), vitamin D (−0.34 (−0.57, −0.11)), thiamine (−0.17 (−0.29, −0.05)), riboflavin (−0.25 (−0.45, −0.05)) and vitamin B12 (−0.52 (−0.95, −0.09)) and more polyunsaturated fat acid (0.27 (0.11, 0.44)) and vitamin E (0.28 (0.03, 0.54)) than controls.