Keywords
Restrictive food disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Abstract
Objective: To characterize the profile of eating and bowel habits of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), correlating them with the anthropometric data of child growth. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive, and observational study. A questionnaire was applied to caregivers of autistic children, and anthropometric data of the target population were collected. Results: It was found that children with ASD exhibit motor and behavioral difficulties during feeding, with instances of food selectivity. A trend was observed in selecting foods based on texture, with a preference for crunchy foods (34.6%). It was found that 15.4% of children with ASD have very short stature, 21.7% have excess weight, and 33.3% of children aged 0 to 5 years are obese. The analysis of gastrointestinal complaints showed that 1 in 4 children reported constipation. Conclusion: There is a tendency for food selectivity, in addition to motor and behavioral difficulties during meals. Frequent occurrences of constipation were identified. Susceptibility to overweight and obesity was observed in children aged 0 to 5 years.
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