Summary:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) begins early in life and involves social communication difficulties and repetitive behaviours, and many children with ASD experience feeding issues. Diet and nutrition are considered modifiable factors that may influence brain development. Previous research suggests that longer breastfeeding duration, balanced dietary patterns, and adequate micronutrient intake support cognitive and social development in childhood. Inflammation has been proposed as a biological pathway connecting diet to neurodevelopment. The dietary inflammatory index (DII) estimates how strongly a person’s overall diet may promote inflammation, and higher DII scores have been associated with poorer cognitive function and greater risk of neurodevelopmental problems. This study, a cross-sectional case-control comparison, examined whether diet-related inflammation is linked with ASD. The study compared 50 children with ASD to 50 typically developing controls. Dietary information, autism observation scores, and physical development assessments were collected. The ASD group had higher scores on all three inflammation measures than controls, and children with ASD also showed reduced dietary variety and more selective eating behaviours. After adjusting for demographic factors, a higher DII score was associated with greater odds of ASD. In summary, this study found that children with ASD had more pro-inflammatory dietary patterns and higher systemic inflammatory markers than typically developing children. The findings suggest a possible link between inflammatory diets and neurodevelopment in ASD but do not establish causation. Diet-related inflammation may represent a modifiable factor worth further investigation in relation to childhood neurodevelopment.
Abstract:
Background: The incidence rate of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has been rising; this study aimed to explore the relationship between nutritional intake and neurodevelopment in children with ASDs. Methods: This study is a case–control cross-sectional comparison including 50 children with ASDs and 50 typically developing controls. A total of 500 children with neurodevelopmental disorders and 500 typically developing (TD) children were recruited based on clinical diagnosis to compare levels of inflammation. Among them, 50 children were diagnosed with ASDs based on DSM-5 criteria by experienced developmental behavioral pediatricians. A total of 50 typically developing children were matched with the 50 children with ASDs. Dietary surveys, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and physical development evaluations were conducted on these 100 children. Results: The children’s dietary inflammatory index (C-DII), systemic immune inflammatory index (SII), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) in the ASD group were significantly higher compared to the TD group (p<0.05). A positive correlation was observed between C-DII and SII (r = 0.323, p = 0.022), as well as SIRI (r = 0.283, p = 0.046). The dietary diversity in the ASD group was lower than that of the TD group, with a higher prevalence of picky eating behaviors in the ASD group. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, the C-DII may be correlated with ASD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.842, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.114 ~ 3.046, p = 0.017]. Conclusion: Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) displayed higher C-DII scores. The results of this study suggest that there may be a correlation between C-DII and the neurodevelopment of children with ASD, not causality. Inflammatory dietary patterns may represent a modifiable factor linked to neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Article Publication Date: 19/11/2025
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1705682
