Clinical question - For a friend whose child has a developmental delay (Apr/18/2010 )
Hi all,
Some good friends of ours have a child with a moderate to severe developmental delay which has some interesting issues. Zach can't communicate properly and shows plenty of autistic spectrum symptoms, but there are a couple that seem to indicate some kind of food-based problem. When he has carbohydrate-rich foods (wheat, potato, and especially corn-based foods), he starts to show repetitive behaviours, such as shaking his head side-to-side (he used to bang his head against objects); these start fairly soon after having the food, and are greatly reduced when he's on a low-wheat or low carb diet. Interestingly, he also has occasional ammonia breath. Digging back into my undergrad memory banks, that suggests a great deal of gluconeogenesis: is that right?
Any comments greatly appreciated.
I am not a doctor, so take this with a grain of salt...
I seem to recall from my physiology labs that ammonia breath would indicate kidney problems of some sort. Though I thought it was more of a chronic sort of thing rather than intermittent.
The following paper might be of interest:
Mary Coleman and John P. Blass
Journal Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Publisher Springer Netherlands
ISSN 0162-3257 (Print) 1573-3432 (Online)
Issue Volume 15, Number 1 / March, 1985
DOI 10.1007/BF01837894
Pages 1-8
Subject Collection Behavioral Science
SpringerLink Date Thursday, June 30, 2005
Thanks.
swanny on Apr 19 2010, 01:51 AM said:
Some good friends of ours have a child with a moderate to severe developmental delay which has some interesting issues. Zach can't communicate properly and shows plenty of autistic spectrum symptoms, but there are a couple that seem to indicate some kind of food-based problem. When he has carbohydrate-rich foods (wheat, potato, and especially corn-based foods), he starts to show repetitive behaviours, such as shaking his head side-to-side (he used to bang his head against objects); these start fairly soon after having the food, and are greatly reduced when he's on a low-wheat or low carb diet. Interestingly, he also has occasional ammonia breath. Digging back into my undergrad memory banks, that suggests a great deal of gluconeogenesis: is that right?
Any comments greatly appreciated.
There is this program called Mysterie Diagnosis , I dont know if you know it?
Anyway: in that show I saw a story exactly the same as you describe.
Too bad I cant remember what it was or what episode it was (and they air it in delay here in my country so it wouldnt be up to date with the us.)
Maybe you need to check their website and their episodes?
But that case was just the same as you describe.
josse on Apr 19 2010, 08:46 PM said:
swanny on Apr 19 2010, 01:51 AM said:
Some good friends of ours have a child with a moderate to severe developmental delay which has some interesting issues. Zach can't communicate properly and shows plenty of autistic spectrum symptoms, but there are a couple that seem to indicate some kind of food-based problem. When he has carbohydrate-rich foods (wheat, potato, and especially corn-based foods), he starts to show repetitive behaviours, such as shaking his head side-to-side (he used to bang his head against objects); these start fairly soon after having the food, and are greatly reduced when he's on a low-wheat or low carb diet. Interestingly, he also has occasional ammonia breath. Digging back into my undergrad memory banks, that suggests a great deal of gluconeogenesis: is that right?
Any comments greatly appreciated.
There is this program called Mysterie Diagnosis , I dont know if you know it?
Anyway: in that show I saw a story exactly the same as you describe.
Too bad I cant remember what it was or what episode it was (and they air it in delay here in my country so it wouldnt be up to date with the us.)
Maybe you need to check their website and their episodes?
But that case was just the same as you describe.
Hi josse,
No, I haven't heard of it, but thanks for the tip.
swanny on Apr 18 2010, 07:51 PM said:
Some good friends of ours have a child with a moderate to severe developmental delay which has some interesting issues. Zach can't communicate properly and shows plenty of autistic spectrum symptoms, but there are a couple that seem to indicate some kind of food-based problem. When he has carbohydrate-rich foods (wheat, potato, and especially corn-based foods), he starts to show repetitive behaviours, such as shaking his head side-to-side (he used to bang his head against objects); these start fairly soon after having the food, and are greatly reduced when he's on a low-wheat or low carb diet. Interestingly, he also has occasional ammonia breath. Digging back into my undergrad memory banks, that suggests a great deal of gluconeogenesis: is that right?
Any comments greatly appreciated.
Hey swanny,
Yeah, if we check out the lit, this condition is more indicative of a renal disease but if we want to associate it with autism and gluconeogenesis, I'd think that it's more likely to be observed in adults and not in kids...i.e. some autistic individuals could be wasting away bec they forget to eat or since there's also high incidence of co-morbidity e.g. clinical depression then ultimately they don't want to eat or have no energy to do so etc. Also regarding food issues, I think, currently,one part of ASD management is following a GFCF (gluten-free casein-free)diet
We had a protracted discussion
about this in the amazing people thread and Astilius was kind enough and patient enough to provide us a lot of info as well as insights into ASD esp on Asperger's syndrome.