Ways A Proper Diet Can Help Your Child With Special Needs

by Dr. Aravind Bagade, M.D. (Ayurveda), mIFM, Dip. Nutrition & Health
Director of Health & Nutrition
Doman International Institute

When I was talking to a parent regarding the importance of proper nutrition recently, she said to me that she made sure her child got the best diet and she ensures that the child’s weight is appropriate to age and hence its healthy. I thought for a while and felt she is correct to some extent! However the concept of ‘proper nutrition’ or ‘good nutrition’ is way more complex than we think. For example, you could get around 130 calories from eating a small sized donut or an Oz of sweet potato. Are they nutritionally equal then? Definitely not! Here comes the importance of a nutritionally balanced diet. Also, weight is not the only parameter to judge your child’s nutritional status and health. First of all let us understand what is nutrition and diet before we move any further in this topic.

1. Nutrition and Diet

If you are habituated to eating a specific type of food, it is your diet. Examples being vegetarian diet, vegan diet, paleo diet and so on. Every person is accustomed to eating certain specific staple foods that make up their diet. A good diet which is suited to your child can improve the health and nutritional status of your child while a poorly planned diet can cause the opposite.

The term ‘Nutrition’ refers to the constituents of your diet which your body need on a regular basis to function optimally. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibre being the best examples of nutrients. Nutrition is what your child’s body gets from these nutrients. A diet balanced in nutrients can provide optimal nutrition and ensure appropriate growth and development for your child.

2. Proper nutrition

Proper nutrition refers to a diet with appropriate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients needed for the proper growth and development of your child. Breast feeding is considered as the best example of an ideal nutrition for an infant especially in the first 12 months of life. Breast milk consists of all the essential nutrients and immunoglobulins needed for the child to grow and also to fight against infections. From the fifth month of life it is ideal to introduce other source of nutrients for your child to meet the increasing nutritional needs of the growing child and to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Making right choices at this age is very important for promoting better gut health, optimum nutritional status, avoiding nutritional deficiencies and frequent illnesses.

Let us understand ways in which a proper diet can help your child

3. Appropriate growth and development

A diet with appropriate amounts of macro and micronutrients ensures adequate growth and immunity. Nutritionally appropriate diet means a balance of carbohydrates (55-60%), proteins (20-25%) and fats (15-20%) which are collectively called macronutrients. It also requires micronutrients which are vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients in appropriate amounts. Disproportionate amounts of macro and micronutrients in the diet can take a toll on growth and development of your child and also predispose your child to various infections and an impaired immune status. The total calories your child needs depends on the age, height, weight and physical activity levels of your child and there is no one size fits all approach to this. A 5 year old boy (18kg and 110cm height) with limited mobility might need 1250 kcal/day whereas a child of the same age, height and weight who is very active physically might need 1890 kcal/day! These are just a few aspects to be considered before planning meals. Appropriate growth and development of a child needs good amounts of complex carbohydrates (from grains and vegetables) which help in providing the needed energy for various metabolic functions on a daily basis. Proteins are essential for building the framework of the body and also for synthesizing hormones, enzymes and neurochemicals which regulate the complex chemical reactions in the body every millisecond. Good quality fats are essential for proper lubrication, brain development and myelination, and a medium for absorption of fat soluble vitamins.

4. Betterment in gut-brain axis 

Did you know that the neural network in the gut (digestive system) is called ‘second brain’! 

Yes, you read it right! 

There are around 600 million interconnected neurons in the human digestive tract which can operate the digestive functions independently of the brain and spinal cord. This complex neural network is called Enteric Nervous System (ENS). The ENS regulate a vast majority of digestive functions including but not limited to propelling the food through the digestive passage, secretion of appropriate enzymes, digestion of food, absorption of nutrients and excretion of waste products. 

The digestive system also house around 100 trillion bacterial colonies which are collectively called gut microbiome. This microbiome regulates the storage, processing of fats, energy production, gut barrier function, regulation of inflammation, mood and behaviour of your child. 

While a nutritionally balanced meal can nourish the gut microbiome and improve a healthy barrier function resulting in better immune responses in your child, a diet which is nutritionally inappropriate, high in refined carbohydrates, low in fibre, high in sugars can alter the type of gut microbiome, feed excess candida colonies and impact your child’s mood, behaviour and development. It can also worsen constipation, gassiness, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome and other conditions which your child might have as a result of either poor gut health or altered gut-brain axis or a combination of both in a child with special needs. The relationship between gut health and diet is very well established in many neurodevelopmental conditions including ASD and there are dietary protocols like GAPS diet, low FODMAPS diet which are being recommended in various neurodevelopmental conditions considering the importance of gut and brain axis and its role in normal growth and development. 

A diet rich in prebiotic fibre, complex carbohydrates, good quality proteins and a combination of mono and poly unsaturated fats in the diet can nourish the gut microbiome, reduce inflammation and control overgrowth of bacterial and fungal colonies. This also helps in better immune responses in the gut, appropriate digestive functions and regular bowel habits which are crucial for appropriate nourishment, growth and development of your child. It can also help control hyperactivity, hypersensitivity, aggression, depression and other psychological issues your child might be fighting with.

5. Improves immune responses 

We all have trillions of gut bacteria which are friendly and helpful to us. With then, we also have some unwanted pathological bacterial and fungal colonies in the gut. Improper diets, food sensitivities and poor food choices can lead to gut inflammation, overgrowth of unwanted microbial colonies which compete with healthy and friendly bacteria leading to a condition called ‘dysbiosis’. This can cause intestinal bacterial and fungal overgrowth which confuse your child’s immune system leading to inflammation of gut, autoimmune responses and leaky gut. Instead of having a healthy barrier function promoting normal immune responses, the gut starts to react with your child’s own cells leading to a low grade inflammation in the child’s body causing irritable behaviour, neuroinflammation from the toxins released by the microbes, frequent infections and food sensitivities/ intolerances in many instances. 

Majority of the symptoms of your child, including regression in milestones, repeated infections and severe food intolerances are the classical symptoms of impaired immune functions which can be corrected through dietary modifications and supplements. Organic foods, and foods free from GMOs, preservatives, additives and colouring agents, avoiding BPA containers, eliminating reactive foods, planning a good rotation program are some of the key things to consider in avoiding inappropriate immune responses and also promoting gut healing.

Planning a diet which is nutritionally balanced and adequate can help in appropriate growth and development of your child. A diet which works for your child may not work for some other child with the same neurodevelopmental issue due to the fact that diets are individual specific and cannot be generalized. Planning appropriate nutrition programs to your child in consultation with a nutritionist is always better and sustainable. Nutritionally balanced meals can not only nourish your child but also be therapeutic in nature promoting better neurological growth and development.