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

Study answer

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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Original abstract