Research summaries for autism therapy: vitamin A (retinoic acid)

definition of vitamin A (retinoic acid): A fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal vision. It belongs to a family of associated molecules called retinoids. Different forms of vitamin A can be found in many different types of food such as liver, sweet potato, and carrots.
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Food Faddism Causing Vision Loss in an Autistic Child, Summarized Oct 16, 2009

Vitamin A therapy may help children with autism who are also vitamin A deficient.

This case study of an 8-year-old boy describes his symptoms of autism and severe eye problems. He squeezed his eyes shut often. The doctors reported several problems with his eyes, including sores and cloudy (opaque) corneas. The child was a picky eater who, for four years, ate only fried potatoes and drank only water. His vitamin A blood levels were very low. After a month of vitamin A therapy, his eyes were improved. His behavior problems were also less severe.

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Is Autism a G-alpha Protein Defect Reversible with Natural Vitamin A?, Summarized Oct 1, 2009

Vitamin A therapy may be helpful for some people with autism.

The author describes her idea that vitamin A may be helpful for people who are missing a certain gene and have a syndrome known as G-alpha protein defect. This article describes two cases of children (a 10 year old and an infant) whose autism symptoms were improved when they were treated with vitamin A (from cod liver oil). The author believes that both children had G-alpha protein defects. G-alpha protein defect can also cause night blindness, and thyroid and pituitary gland problems.

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Bone Pain, Growth Failure, and Skin Rash After an Upper Respiratory Illness in a Boy with Autism: Possible Associations with Altered Retinoid Metabolism, Summarized Feb 13, 2009

Vitamin C therapy may counter some of the toxic effects of high levels of vitamin A that may follow an infection.

This case study describes a boy with autism who had severe pain in the right hip, fatigue, skin rash, and sore gums after being sick with a fever, cold and cough. These bone symptoms appeared three months after the cold was over. The authors suggest that the viral cold increased the level of vitamin A in the blood to toxic levels. The high levels of vitamin A could then have caused low levels of vitamin C. They describe this idea as being counter to the theory that children with autism have low levels of vitamin A. Read more...

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Synonyms for vitamin A (retinoic acid) include: retinoic acid, retinoid, vitamin A
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