Supplementation of omega 3 fatty acids may improve hyperactivity, lethargy, and stereotypy in children with autism spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
What this study found
Omega-3 supplementation was well tolerated and produced small but statistically significant improvements in some ABC behavioral symptoms. Compared with placebo, omega-3 was associated with lower hyperactivity (difference in means -2.692, 95% CI -5.364 to -0.020, P=0.048), lethargy (-1.969, 95% CI -3.566 to -0.372, P=0.016), and stereotypy (-1.071, 95% CI -2.114 to -0.029, P=0.044). No clear benefit was shown for clinical global improvement (OR 1.255, 95% CI 0.574 to 2.748, P=0.569) or social responsiveness (SRS difference in means 3.143, 95% CI -0.090 to 6.376, P=0.057; Hedges' g 0.367, 95%…
- Study & population
- This was a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in pediatric autism spectrum disorder populations.
- Intervention
- Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation was tested against placebo across randomized trials in children with autism spectrum disorder.
- Key limitation
- The evidence is preliminary because the meta-analysis pooled only a small number of trials with small active-arm sample sizes and heterogeneous populations, doses, and outcome measures.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Aim Deficiency of omega 3 fatty acids may be linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Evidence about the potential therapeutic effects of supplementation of omega 3 fatty acids is lacking in ASD patients. Methods We searched major electronic databases from inception to June 21, 2017, for randomized clinical trials, which compared treatment outcomes between supplementation of omega 3 fatty acids and placebo in patients with ASD. An exploratory random-effects meta-analysis of the included studies was undertaken. Results and conclusion Six trials were included (n=194). Meta-analysis showed that supplementation of omega 3 fatty acids improved hyperactivity (difference in means =−2.692, 95% confidence interval [CI] =−5.364 to −0.020, P=0.048, studies =4, n=109), lethargy (difference in means =−1.969, 95% CI =−3.566 to −0.372, P=0.016, studies =4, n=109), and stereotypy (difference in means =−1.071, 95% CI =−2.114 to −0.029, P=0.044, studies =4, n=109). No significant differences emerged between supplementation of omega 3 fatty acids and placebo in global assessment of functioning (n=169) or social responsiveness (n=97). Our preliminary meta-analysis suggests that supplementation of omega 3 fatty acids may improve hyperactivity, lethargy, and stereotypy in ASD patients. However, the number of studies was limited and the overall effects were small, precluding definitive conclusions. Future large-scale randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm or refute our findings.