Parental practice and perception of complementary and alternative medicine and effect of L carnosine and pyridoxine magnesium sulphate in children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Complementary and alternative medicine CAM is used along with occupational and speech therapy in children with autism spectrum disorder ASD This study aimed to assess the practice and perception of CAM among parents of ASD children and evaluate the effectiveness of Lcarnosine and pyridoxine magnesium sulphate as adjunctive therapy in the management of ASD children through a randomized controlled trial. Children aged 3 to 6 years with mild to moderate ASD were assigned to standard care arm occupational and speech therapy and intervention care arms L carnosine and pyridoxine-magnesium sulphate along with standard care To measure Lcarnosine level a bioanalytical method was developed using Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography RP HPLC The children were assessed at the baseline and the end of 2 months for the scores of Childhood Autism Rating Scale 2nd edition Standard version CARS2 ST Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist ATEC BEARS sleep tool 6 item Gastrointestinal Severity Index 6GSI and Parental Stress Scale PSS 24 percent of the children were exposed to at least one CAM therapy and herbal medicines were widely used CAM 71 point 4 percent Thematic analysis generated two themes such as facilitators of conventional therapies and barriers to CAM use Two patients exhibited hyperactivity and anger outbursts while receiving therapy with pyridoxine-magnesium sulphate and the study arm was discontinued Supplementation of L carnosine did not statistically improve the total score of CARS2 ST ATEC BEARS sleep tool 6GSI and PSS p greater than 0 point 05 There was no statistically significant correlation between plasma L carnosine and CARS2 ST or ATEC p greater than 0 point 05 newline