Repurposing Fatty Acids for Autism and for Symptoms of Prematurity

Principal Investigator: Dr. Sarah Keim

Diseases: Autism; Prematurity

Research Description: Between 2013 – 2017, Cures Within Reach funded 2 trials led by Dr. Sarah Keim at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital addressing and improving latencies in developmental milestones or symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in preterm infants and toddlers using readily available fatty acid (FA) supplementations. ​Previously, various FA combinations had shown promise in a handful of small trials of mostly older children with autism. Dr. Keim was the first to test this intervention earlier (infants and toddlers) in a population at high risk for autism and ADHD. She demonstrated that the FA combination treatment reduced symptoms of autism in premature infancy: children who received the treatment exhibited greater improvements on behavioral tests than those receiving the placebo. Dr. Keim then investigated the impact FAs could have on other developmental consequences of prematurity, now being tested in larger trials, which could lead to even broader impact. ​