The effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis

Background: Omega-3 therapy for ASD is often used as a complementary and alternative medical approach, however, its impact on the core symptoms of ASD is controversial. Therefore, accurately determining the role of Omega-3 in ASD can establish a foundation for parents and doctors to formulate treatment plans. The current study aimed to include randomized controlled trials and provide a meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of Omega-3 fatty acids on the core symptoms of ASD. Method: We searched the papers published in the Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, Scopus, EBSCO, SpringerLink, and Wiley Online Library databases until 10th April 2024 with 11 articles included. The meta-analysis evaluated the overall effects of Omega-3 fatty acids on core ASD behaviors and the effects on hyperactivity behavior, stereotype behavior, communication difficulty, and emotional difficulty. Results: Results indicated that, compared to placebo, the Omega-3 fatty acids had a small and non-significant effect on the overall behavior [SMD= −0.1, 95 % CI (−0.36,0.17), p = 0.47], with the same effect on hyperactivity behavior [SMD= −0.24, 95 % CI (−0.55,0.08), p = 0.14], stereotyped behavior [SMD= −0.2, 95 % CI (−0.47,0.07), p = 0.15], communication difficulty [SMD= −0.09, 95 % CI (−0.42,0.24), p = 0.60], and emotional difficulty [SMD= −0.15, 95 % CI (−0.45,0.14), p = 0.3]. Conclusions: Overall, Omega-3 fatty acids have a minor and insignificant effect on ASD behaviors, which may be related to treatment protocol and appropriateness of participants. In the future, more large-scale and rigorous randomized controlled trials are needed to further obtain more convincing conclusions.