Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2015 Aug;69(8):969-71.
doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2015.28. Epub 2015 Mar 25.

Omega-3 fatty acids in the management of autism spectrum disorders: findings from an open-label pilot study in Singapore

Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Omega-3 fatty acids in the management of autism spectrum disorders: findings from an open-label pilot study in Singapore

Y P Ooi et al. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015 Aug.

Abstract

The goal of this open-label trial was to examine the efficacy and safety of a 12-week omega-3 fatty acids supplementation among children suffering with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A total of 41 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years (36 boys, 5 girls; mean age = 11.66, s.d. = 3.05) diagnosed with ASD participated in the study. At post-treatment, participants showed significant improvements on all subscales of the Social Responsiveness Scale (P < 0.01) and the Social and Attention Problems syndrome scales of the Child Behavior Checklist (P < 0.05). Blood fatty acid levels were significantly correlated with changes in the core symptoms of ASD. Baseline levels of blood fatty acid levels were also predictive of response to the omega-3 treatment. Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation was well-tolerated and did not cause any serious side effects. Our findings lend some preliminary support for the use of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation in addressing ASD. Future randomized controlled trials of omega-3 fatty acids in ASD with blood fatty acid measurements with a larger sample and longer follow-up period is warranted.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Biomed Pharmacother. 2002 Oct;56(8):365-79 - PubMed
    1. Neurobiol Aging. 2005 Dec;26 Suppl 1:98-102 - PubMed
    1. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;67(12):1954-67 - PubMed
    1. J Autism Dev Disord. 2011 May;41(5):545-54 - PubMed
    1. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2009 Aug;19(4):449-51 - PubMed

Publication types