Autism is a disorder that affects brain development in children and causes problems with social interaction and communication skills. In recent years, investigators have sought to understand the role of food allergies in causing or worsening the severity of autism. Specifically, gluten (a wheat protein) and casein (a milk protein) have been occasionally blamed for worsening symptoms in some children by contributing to immune dysfunction.
Many other foods are blamed for worsening autism as well, including eggs, tomatoes, eggplant, avocado, red peppers, soy, and corn. Based on these precepts, autistic children may be placed on severely restricted diets for prolonged periods of time. Clinical studies reveal that allergy skin and blood tests, which assess the presence of IgE antibodies to these foods are usually negative, and most of these children do not experience typical symptoms of food allergies. In addition, studies of gluten- and casein-free diets in autistic children have not met with strict scientific scrutiny and have yielded questionable information.
Recently, a Cochrane analysis on this subject found only one small, well-designed study that showed some improvement in autistic traits in the children receiving a gluten- and casein-free diet. Studies of larger numbers of children are needed to confirm the results of this small study. It should be kept in mind that severely limiting a child’s dietary intake may lead to nutritional deficiencies. Be sure to contact your child’s physicians before starting a strict diet in a young child.