Research summaries for autism therapy: complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) | Healing Thresholds | Page 1

Research summaries for autism therapy: complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)

definition of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM): Diverse medical and health care practices, therapies, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional main-stream medicine. Examples include acupuncture and herbal remedies.

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Efficacy of Methylcobalamin and Folinic Acid Treatment on Glutathione Redox Status in Children with Autism, Summarized Aug 17, 2010

Vitamin B12 and folic acid may help to normalize the metabolism of children with autism.

Around 74% of parents use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat their children with autism. The goal of this study was to show whether or not vitamin B12 and folic acid could improve markers in the blood of children with autism. The authors measured SAM:SAH and GSH:GSSG in the blood of 40 children aged 2 to 7 years who had autism. The children were given 75 µg/kg of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) 2 times/week and 400 µg folinic acid 2 times/day for 3 months. The vitamins improved the blood results in the children, but did not bring the blood results to normal levels.

Complementary, Holistic, and Integrative Medicine: Fish Oils and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Summarized Mar 23, 2010

The authors note that studies have been mixed as to whether or not children with autism have low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood. There have been only a few studies that have looked at the use of omega-3 fatty acids as treatment for autism and these studies have been small and lasted only a short amount of time. Omega-3 fatty acids have a good safety profile, but they may cause nausea, nose bleeds, and a fishy burp. Read more...

Complementary Alternative Medicine for Children with Autism: A Physician Survey, Summarized Jan 8, 2010

Some physicians may recommend complementary alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for children with autism.

A survey was offered to 3,100 pediatricians and family medicine practitioners, and about 1 out of 5 responded to the survey (539 physicians). The survey showed that 49% of the doctors encouraged multi-vitamin therapy for children with autism. And 19 to 25% of them encouraged essential fatty acids (EFAs), melatonin, and probiotics as therapy for autism. Physicians discouraged parents from using some therapies.... Read more...

Helping Families Find the Best Evidence: CAM Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorders and Asperger’s Disorder, Summarized Oct 12, 2009

There are several resources on the Web that provide evidence-based autism therapy information, including resources for enrolling in clinical trials.

This article lists some places that parents can go online to find evidence-based therapy information. Sites include the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NIH Autism Research Network, The Cochrane Collaboration, and others. The list also includes resources for signing up to participate in clinical trials.

Synonyms for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) include: alternative medicine, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatment, CAM, complementary, complementary therapies, complimentary and alternative medicine, complimentary medicine

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