The Effects of a Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Diet on Behavioral Indices in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

 Autism is a neurological disorder that has seen an increase in prevalence in recent years. It is hypothesized that diet may influence mental health and improve the behavioral symptoms of autism.

 The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of gluten-free and casein-free diets on children with autism.
Data Sources: International databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane, and Science Direct were searched using keywords including Autism, Gluten-free, Casein, Diet, and Autistic Disorder, without any time restriction

Study Selection: 

Ultimately, 8 articles were selected for the final analysis.

Data Extraction: 

The study revealed that gluten-free/casein-free (GF/CF) diets had a significantly positive effect on the behavior index of autistic children. In terms of the behavior index, the effect size was a standard mean difference (SMD) of -0.27 (P = 0.001) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of -0.424 to -0.116. A meta-analysis comparing intervention and control groups indicated that the GF/CF diet had an effect size of SMD = -0.27 (P = 0.001) with a 95% CI of -0.429 to -0.112 on the behavior index.

 The results of these studies were synthesized using the fixed effects model of meta-analysis with STATA version 14.

 Given the positive impact of the GF/CF diet on improving the behavior of autistic children, this dietary approach can be considered as a means to enhance behavioral symptoms in these children.