February 17, 2018
The medical profession clearly recognizes that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of children developing autism. As a result it has become common for women to supplement their diet with vitamin D while pregnant. But what if this preventative path isn’t followed or the newborn child develops autism anyway? Are there positive effects of treatment with vitamin D for these children? There is a rapidly growing body of evidence that indicates yes.Take the case of Emily. Emily has 3 autistic children. Linda and Sarah are 8 year old twin daughters and Jimmy is her 6 year old son. Linda has been diagnosed with moderate autism, Sarah with severe autism, and Jimmy with moderate autism and possibly ADHD.
In her search for information about treating her children Emily came into contact with Dr. John Cannell, MD, Executive Director of the Vitamin D Council. After hearing and reading about the results that others had realized with vitamin D supplementation, she started her children on high doses in early September of 2010. After 3 weeks she noticed remarkable results in her son, Jimmy. The biggest changes in him were dramatically improved awareness, reduced hyperactivity, and a small increase in the quantity of his speech and correct use of language.
She noticed no improvements in her daughters until a month after starting, when Linda surprised Emily by pointing at the TV and saying “Mom, what’s that?” This was remarkable for 3 reasons:
– In eight years Linda had never referred to her mother as “Mom”, or ever attempted to get her attention in that way- She had never asked her mother what an object was- She had never spontaneously pointed to an object
When Emily turned to see what Linda had pointed at, she saw a UFO on the TV, and it made perfect sense that Linda didn’t know what the object was. Emily looks back now and realizes this was the beginning of Linda’s use of spontaneous language. She had been somewhat verbal before but typically only to communicate wants and needs, and she was incapable of answering yes/no questions. She could respond to a question if the answer was from a list that she had been taught, such as “Can you name some vehicles?” By December, however, she had started making comments such as “that Christmas tree is beautiful”, and she was referring to the days of the week. She had even begun bargaining with her mom over things she didn’t want to do, and while this can be annoying to most parents, Emily was understandably thrilled!
Linda’s twin sister Sarah, diagnosed with severe autism, has shown similarly remarkable results. Sara exhibits an increase in overall awareness, is more agreeable, and wants to interact more with others. After 3 months of supplementation with vitamin D, she was:
– Feeding herself with a fork- Drinking from a cup without a straw- Attempting to talk more
Sarah’s sleep habits have also shown a dramatic improvement. In the past she would wake in the night and wander around the house repeatedly turning lights on and off. That behavior has vanished and she sleeps much more soundly. While she is still clearly autistic, her improved behavior now makes the situation much more manageable, and in turn makes Emily’s life easier.
By December 2010, Emily’s third child, Jimmy, aged 6, continued to show improvement beyond the initial short term results. He was much more alert and aware and was able to answer yes/no questions accurately. He was able to choose between two options when they were presented. And although he was previously never able to remember his sister’s or teacher’s names, he was referring to everyone by name. Other things that continued to improve:
– He was making noticeably better eye contact with others- He was speaking in spontaneous sentences of up to 6 words- His hyperactivity was greatly decreased- His temper tantrums had decreased in severity and frequency
The difference in response times between Jimmy and his sisters may relate to studies that show males and females receiving benefits from vitamin D in different ways or magnitudes. Vitamin D is metabolized into beneficial compounds in the body by enzymes, and these enzymes are responsive to estrogen. The higher presence of estrogen in the twin girls’ bloodstream may explain the difference in the timing of their improvements to Jimmy’s.