Dietary and Medical Interventions for Autism (Biomedical treatment, Autism 101) Julie A. Griffith, M.D., M.S., C.M.T. Pediatric and Adult Neurology Behavioral Neurology/Neuropsychiatry 120 Ross Valley Drive San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 925-1616 March 15th, 2006 FEAT Sacramento
Attention deficit disorder Language delay Social pragmatic delay Fine motor delay Hyptonia Nutritional deficiencies Immune dysreg/allergy/infx/inflamm Heavy metal toxicities
Autism-working model Genetic predisposition PLUS environmental triggers (toxins and infections, allergic triggers which cause gut-brain-immune dysfunction.) Expansion of the brain subcortical white matter volume (big heads), due to inflammation (oligodendritic cell infiltration perivascularly), irritability of brain, downstream effect from what is happening in the gut and systemically (infection, inflammation and neurotoxicity)
Cerebellar cognitive-affective syndrome. Schmahmann, ANPA conf 2-18-06) Executive function Spatial cognition Language deficits Affect -blunting or disinhibition
Language dysfunction Language delay- word deafness (not interpret word as having meaning initially), receptive language delay (not just delay, not acquire normal milestones of language, but also abnormal quality of speech and language). Speech-hypophonic, aprosodic (without melody) Sometimes receptive language>expressive language (speech)
Social skill abnormalities Social pragmatic abnormalities Poor eye contact (eye fixation is at other s mouth) Dr. Joe Piven, University of North Carolina) showed that in autism, children look at the mouth, not the eyes. The eyes tell more about fear than the mouth, so children with autism cannot detect fear in others well. Instruct them to look at eyes, this improves their ability to read emotion in the other person.
Fine motor difficulties weak grasp hypotonia of limbs (hands>feet), and axially (trunk) Dyspraxia Incoordination Writing deficits (graphomotor delay)
Nutritional deficiencies of the following amino acid Essential fatty acids B vitamins Zinc >lithium>magnesium= iron, >calcium Antioxidants, especially glutathione Nutrients of detoxification (cysteine and sulfate, along with the 5 minerals and glutathione) Sometimes Vitamin A, C, E (especially gamma tocopherol)
Immune dysregulation Allergies (undigested food causing dcelayed hypersensitivities to food, but also immediate allergies) Immunodeficiencies (secondary to nutritional deficiencies, also look for genetic casues) Chronic infection Neuroimmune Majority of children
Toxicities Heavy metal poisoning 1. Thimerosol from vaccinations (Rhogam and influenza to mother), vaccinations to child 2. Dental amalgams 3. Fish (power plants, gold mining) 4. Water (Arsenic, lead, mercury) 5. Food aluminum and tin from cans
The Greater Sacramento Area has some degree of exposure to heavy metals arsenic (water), lead (pipes to homes, especially if older) mercury (from Gold mines during heavy rain runoff, into the fish) Per NRDC (National Resources Defense Council), Lead in drinking water EPA website-multiple fish from different regions, including Bay Area, in which some fish have levels of mercury exceeding the safe limit (swordfish, etc)
Treatment I. Stop harmful environmental factors (toxins and inflammatory conditionsallerg/infx/(vaccination bombardment) II. Heal the gut III. Restore nutrition IV. Treat infections V. Remove allergic triggers VI. Remove the toxins
Parents 1. Read Children with Starving brains by Jacquelyn McCandless/educate self. Parents are the best advocate. 2. Attend next DAN! Conference 3. Do from home before seeing physician 4. Consider obtaining nutritionist 5. Inform PMD want biomedical treatment 6. Obtain DAN! Physician a. heal the gut, treating infections, nutritionally replete (vitamins, minerals, aa, efa, detoxification nutrients, B12 shots b. Genomics,identify unique biochemical pattern c. Detoxification
I. Getting started from home A. Diet B. Epsom salt baths C. (HEPA filter) D. Judicious vaccination E. Breastfeed F. Mvi/mmi G. (probiotics) H. Remove excessive stimuli
I. Getting started from home- DIET Filter water-distilled or reverse osmosis Fresh, whole food, organic produce, home grown Glass, no tin or aluminum cans, try not to give left overs (mold) Free range, grass fed animals, wild fish (not heavy mercury laden) Pantry-throw out processed, dyed, foods (or give charity) Family at dinner table
Diet: Plant based (plants are the foundation) pyramid, 5-13 vegetables/day, rainbow of colors/day Vegetables are yummy Protein (children are amino acid deficient) Vegetarian-double peril (B12 supplementation, amino acid deficiency, efa defic)
Special diets Casein free (dairy free). Healthiest is yogurt, goat products are often tolerated better Effects in 1 wk IgE (immediate) and IgG (delayed) hypersensitivity to casein. ( Meridian labs) Protein to caseomorphin (dipeptidase may not function well) (Great Plains and other labs)
Future topics Preparing for detoxification Metallothionein promoter, alliathiamine, DMSA topically (detoxification/chelation) The neurology or understanding of the nervous system involvement in autism Genomics