The relationship between serum 25-oh vitamin D levels and severity of disease in children with autism spectrum disorder

OBJECTIVE: In this study, it is aimed to define serum level of Vitamin D in 2-12 years children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and to compare them with those of normal controls and to explore the association between these serum values and ASD symptom severity METHOD: All participants were assessed by a child and adolescent psychiatrist specialist according to DSM-5 criteria and the cases diagnosed as ASD were included in the study as a research group. All of the participants were interviewed and sociodemographic form were administered. Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) were administered to ASD group. Vitamin D levels were studied from all children in ASD and control groups. Pearson chi-square test and Spearman Correlation Test were used to evaluate the data. RESULTS: In 54 % of the children with ASD and 34 % of the normal children, Vitamin D deficiency was detected, the difference was statistically significant between the groups. Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in the ASD group compared to the control group. There was a negative correlation between total score averages of ABC and CARS and vitamin D levels in ASD group. DISCUSSION: In our study, it was concluded that vitamin D levels were lower in the ASD group compared to the control group between the ages of 2-12. There was a negative correlation between total score averages of ABC and CARS and vitamin D levels in ASD group. In our study, our findings related to vitamin D level and vitamin D level and ASD severity suggest that vitamin D levels may be significant in ASD group between the ages of 2-12.