PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Alamri, Eman S.
TI  - Efficacy of gluten- and casein-free diets on autism spectrum disorders in children
AID  - 10.15537/smj.2020.10.25308
DP  - 2020 Oct 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 1041--1046
VI  - 41
IP  - 10
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/41/10/1041.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/41/10/1041.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2020 Oct 01; 41
AB  - Food containing gluten and casein could play a role in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) symptoms. The present review aimed to update the evidence about the role of the gluten- and casein-free diet (GCFD) on the management of ASD. Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases were used to search for randomized controlled trials (RCT) conducted between January 2000 and February 2020. In total, 9 RCT were included (521 participants) with age range between 2 to 18 years. Four of these studies did not show a significant improvement regarding the symptoms of ASD. The rest of these studies (n=5) showed improvement in communication, stereotyped movements, aggressiveness, language, hyperactivity, tantrums, and signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder compared to control group. Hence, the data remains insufficient to support the use of GCFD to improve the symptoms of ASD in children.