ICMR-STS Approved Project 2020
The project titled, “Body composition analysis of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in a tertiary care hospital, Bhubaneswar through bioelectric impedance analysis- A case-control study”, by Mr. Aditya Anand, 1st year MBBS student has been approved by ICMR-STS 2020 having Ref ID- 2020-07664. Dr. Laxman Kumar Senapati, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Anesthesiology is the Guide and Dr. Priyadarsini Samanta, Associate Professor, Dept. of Physiology is the Co-Guide in this study.
The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most devastating neurobiological disorders of prenatal and postnatal brain development. The core deficits of ASD include significant impairments in social interaction, limited communication, and a restricted gamut of behaviours, interests, and activities. The prevalence of this disease is in an increasing trend worldwide, now being 1 in 54 in 2020.
Children with ASD show some behavioural rigidity, food sensitivity, food selectivity, which makes them nutritionally vulnerable. Parents and caregivers further restrict their diet by imposing gluten free and casein free diet. These factors lead the children of ASD to become underweight. Some studies also show high prevalence of overweight in patients with ASD.
Body composition analysis through Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) is a non-invasive superior technique, which evaluates specific body composition parameters. The body composition analysis of children with ASD using bioelectrical impedance and their comparison with healthy typically developed peers is lacking in the field of research.
Knowledge of nutritional status in case of children with ASD is of utmost importance in their therapeutic benefit as well as in their prognosis. So the early assessment of nutritional status through BIA will help prevent the cardiovascular and other risks associated with ASD.