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Association Between Feeding Problems and Oral Health Status in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

A number of studies have been made of mealtime behavioral problems and food selectivity in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), though not from a multidisciplinary perspective where diet and dental care are investigated in children with ASD. In the present study, the parents of 55 children with ASD and 91 children with typical development (TD) between 6 and 18 years of age completed the Brief Assessment of Mealtime Behavior in Children (BAMBIC) and a food consumption frequency questionnaire. A pediatric dentist performed an oral exploration of the participants according to the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO). Food rejection and limited food variety were associated to an increased prevalence of malocclusion and altered Community Periodontal Index scores in children with ASD.

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Acknowledgments

This study was carried out in part with grants from Mutua Madrileña Research Foundation. We gratefully acknowledge the study subjects and their legal relatives for their participation in the study and the assistance of Language Services with the preparation of this manuscript to Joe Perkins.

Funding

This study was carried out in part with grants from Mutua Madrileña Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Dentistry, Madrid Complutense University, Plaza Ramón y Cajal, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Beatriz Leiva-García & Paloma Planells del Pozo

  2. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus de la Cartuja, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Elena Planells & Jorge Molina-López

  3. Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology. Biomedical Research Center, Health Sciences Technological Park, University of Granada, Avenida del Conocimiento—Armilla, 18100, Granada, Spain

    Elena Planells & Jorge Molina-López

  4. Department of Physiology. Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus de la Cartuja, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Jorge Molina-López

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  1. Beatriz Leiva-García
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  2. Elena Planells
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  3. Paloma Planells del Pozo
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  4. Jorge Molina-López
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Contributions

Leiva-García and Molina-López carried out the collection, analysis and interpretation of data and drafted the manuscript. Leiva-García, Molina-López, Planells E. and Planells del Pozo P. recruited the patients and collected oral health and nutritional data. Planells E. and Planells del Pozo P. carried out in study design. Leiva-García, Molina-López and Planells E. helped in the analysis and interpretation the data. Leiva-García and Molina-López helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jorge Molina-López.

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Leiva-García, B., Planells, E., Planells del Pozo, P. et al. Association Between Feeding Problems and Oral Health Status in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 49, 4997–5008 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04211-w

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