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Zhan XL, Pan N, Karatela S, Shi L, Wang X, Liu ZY, Jing J, Li XH, Cai L, Lin LZ. Infant feeding practices and autism spectrum disorder in US children aged 2-5 years: the national survey of children's health (NSCH) 2016-2020. Int Breastfeed J 2023; 18:41. [PMID: 37568201 PMCID: PMC10422796 DOI: 10.1186/s13006-023-00580-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between infant feeding practices and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children aged 2-5 years in the United States (US). METHODS Data from the 2016-2020 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, were utilized for this study. Questionnaires were administered to parents of children aged 2-5 years to gather information on ASD diagnosis, infant feeding practices, and demographic factors (e.g., child sex, ethnic group, and maternal age at birth). Logistic regression with sample weights was employed to assess the association between infant feeding practices and ASD, while controlling for demographic variables. Polynomial regression models were used to examine trends in exclusive breastfeeding and ever breastfeeding rates among children with and without ASD. RESULTS A total of 35,050 children aged 2-5 years were analyzed, including 616 diagnosed with ASD, after excluding participants with missing information on breastfeeding and ASD diagnosis. Of these children with ASD, 76.6% (n = 472) had a breastfeeding history, with 67.5% (n = 416) engaged in partial breastfeeding and 9.1% (n = 56) exclusively breastfed. Adjusted odds ratios for each additional month of breastfeeding compared to never being breastfed were 0.98 (95% CI, 0.96-1.01). The adjusted odds ratios for breastfeeding durations of > 0-6 months, > 6-12 months, > 12-24 months, and > 24 months were 0.81 (95% CI, 0.50-1.31), 0.65 (95% CI, 0.36-1.18), 0.81 (95% CI, 0.44-1.49), and 0.48 (95% CI, 0.23-1.01), respectively. Compared to children who were never breastfed, the adjusted odds ratio for children who were ever breastfed was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.47-1.18). Among children with ASD, the proportion of ever breastfeeding declined from 82.0% in 2017 to 64.3% in 2020, while exclusive breastfeeding decreased from 12.0% in 2016 to 4.2% in 2020. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Although no significant association was found between infant feeding practices and ASD among US children aged 2-5 years, the rates of breastfeeding, particularly exclusive breastfeeding, were suboptimal among children with ASD. This highlights the need for specific policies and practices to promote and support breastfeeding among parents of children with ASD or those at high risk of having a child with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ling Zhan
- Research Center of Children and Adolescent Psychological and Behavioral Development, Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 510080, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ning Pan
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shamshad Karatela
- Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
- Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Lei Shi
- JNU-HKUST Joint Laboratory for Neuroscience and Innovative Drug Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhao-Yan Liu
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 510080, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Jing
- Research Center of Children and Adolescent Psychological and Behavioral Development, Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 510080, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiu-Hong Li
- Research Center of Children and Adolescent Psychological and Behavioral Development, Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 510080, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Cai
- Research Center of Children and Adolescent Psychological and Behavioral Development, Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 510080, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Zi Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, 510080, Guangzhou, China.
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Altered Blood Brain Barrier Permeability and Oxidative Stress in Cntnap2 Knockout Rat Model. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11102725. [PMID: 35628852 PMCID: PMC9146766 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11102725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by three core symptoms, specifically impaired social behavior, stereotypic/repetitive behaviors, and sensory/communication deficits. Although the exact pathophysiology of ASD is still unknown, host genetics, oxidative stress, and compromised blood brain barrier (BBB) have been implicated in predisposition to ASD. With regards to genetics, mutations in the genes such as CNTNAP2 have been associated with increased susceptibility of developing ASD. Although some studies observed conflicting results suggesting no association of CNTNAP2 with ASD, other investigations correlated this gene with autism. In addition, CNTNAP2 mediated signaling is generally considered to play a role in neurological disorders due to its critical role in neurodevelopment, neurotransmission, and synaptic plasticity. In this investigation, we studied BBB integrity and oxidative stress in Cntnap2−/− rats. We observed that the BBB permeability was significantly increased in Cntnap2−/− rats compared to littermate wild-type (WT) animals as determined by FITC-dextran and Evans blue assay. High levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and lower amounts of reduced glutathione were observed in brain homogenates of Cntnap2−/− rats, suggesting oxidative stress. Brain sections from Cntnap2−/− rats showed intense inducible nitric oxide synthase immunostaining, which was undetectable in WT animals. Quantification of nitric oxide in brain homogenates revealed significantly high levels in Cntnap2−/− rats compared to the control group. As increased permeability of the BBB and oxidative stress have been observed in ASD individuals, our results suggest that Cntnap2−/− rats have a high construct and face validity and can be explored to develop effective therapeutic modalities.
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