Effect of Omega-3 and -6 Supplementation on Language in Preterm Toddlers Exhibiting Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms.
Kelly W Sheppard, Kelly M Boone, Barbara Gracious and 6 others
PMID 28748334WHAT IT FOUND
A 3-month omega-3, -6, and -9 supplement increased gesture use and combined gesture and word scores in preterm toddlers screened for ASD risk, but not word use alone; this pilot secondary analysis of language cannot establish efficacy.
Key findings
01The supplement group increased combined gesture and word use more than the placebo group over 3 months.
02The difference was driven by gesture use; word use alone did not differ between groups over the intervention.
03Representational gesture use increased with supplementation, while deictic gesture use did not differ.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only 31 children were enrolled, below the 40-child goal, because of funding limitations. This was a pilot trial, so the results need replication in a larger sample. The language outcome was secondary to the trial's feasibility aim for ASD symptoms. Children were selected as at risk for ASD using preterm birth and screening scores, not diagnosed with ASD. The CDI was modified, so scores are not directly comparable to studies using standard instruments. The supplement contained omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. Follow-up was only 3 months.
Declared interests
All authors declared no conflicts of interest; the provided text does not state a funding source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that omega-3 and -6 supplementation improves language in preterm toddlers screened for ASD risk. The positive language finding was secondary in a pilot trial, it was limited to gestures and combined gesture and word scores, word use alone did not differ, and the supplement also contained omega-9, so any single fatty acid component cannot be separated.