Notes and references for presentation

 

‘Fed Up with Children’s Behaviour’ by Sue Dengate

 

 

In the beginning

“In my general pediatric practice in Jackson, Tennessee, in the 1950s, my partners and I were the ‘only game in town’. Yet we only saw an occasional hyperactive kid … in the 1970s, I saw so many hyperactive children that I kept records …”1.

 

Food additives

  • 1986 - low additive policy in 800 NY schools halved number of learning disabled students, raised academic performance by 15%2
  • 2003 – Southampton University/ITV additive free trial for two weeks with an entire class of six year olds in the UK: nearly 60% of parents report better sleep patterns and cooperation3
  • 2004 - Tasmanian primary school declares additive free zone: suspensions drop, behaviour and learning habits improve4

 

Eating to win

See Eating to Win factsheet on this website.

 

Allergy or Intolerance?

The dietary management of food allergy and food intolerance in adults and children5.

 

The RPAH elimination diet

Developed over 20 years with 20,000 patients6-9, available from dietitians and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Clinic: www.cs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/Allergy.

 

Seeing is believing

The Shipley Project: a police trial of diet with persistent young offenders in the UK (video)10.

 

Effects of food chemicals

Migraines and headaches, airways, gut, skin, central nervous system7.

 

Itchy skin rashes

 

Asthma

sulphite preservatives (220-228)11-14

benzoates and other preservatives12 15

salicylates11 14 16

colours12 14, MSG17

dairy products18

 

Why don’t they make the connection?

Aspirin study19

 

Irritable bowel symptoms

  • symptoms and prevalence, including ‘a feeling of incomplete evacuation’20
  • role of food chemicals7

 

The quiet ones

  • symptoms21 22
  • role of food chemicals7

 

The restless ones

  • symptoms23
  • role of food chemicals7 24

 

The oppositional ones

  • Symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV)
  • You can get rid of all of the symptoms of ODD just by changing what they eat10

 

The autistic ones

Autism was first identified in 1943. The incidence of autism has increased from about 1 in 2,500 to 5,000 children in the 1970s to 1 in 150 to 500 children.

  • Gluten-free/casein free diet25
  • RPAH diet in autism26
  • Slimak’s study of diet plus avoidance of VOCs27

 

A smell-free holiday

Effects of VOCs

Researchers led by Dr Alexandra Farrow from the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s project believe that depression and headaches in mothers and illhealth in babies may be a result of exposure to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) used in aerosols. The study will be published in the Archives of Environmental Health.

 

Behaviour management

1 2 3 - Magic (video or book), discipline without too much talk or emotion, by Dr Thomas Phelan, www.thomasphelan.com. Available in from Silvereye Educational Publications, Raymond Terrace, NSW: www.silvereye.com.au

 

Additives to avoid24

 

The bread preservative28

 

Independent scientists say29

 

Natural food chemicals30

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

1. Crook W. Informal notes from a presentation by William G Crook, MD, to the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy, Kansas City, 27/9/91.

2. Schoenthaler S, Doraz WE, Wakefield JA Jr. The impact of a low food additive and sucrose diet on academic performance in 803 New York City public schools. Int J Biosocial Research 1986;8(2):185-195. Artificial colours, flavours and two preservatives (BHA and BHT) were gradually eliminated from school meals, and the use of sugar was reduced. Over four years, the number of learning disabled children  halved, and there was an increase of 15.7% in mean academic percentile ranking above the rest of the nation's schools who used the same standardised tests.

3. Nicole Martin. Food additives affect concentration: twin study. Mother amazed by son's behaviour after substances removed from diet. The Daily Telegraph, 1/5/2003, page A14. Reprinted in the Ottawa Citizen, http://www.spcottawa.on.ca/ofsc/food_additives.html.

4. Gill Vowles. Acton school adopts additive-free food policy. The Advocate 8/10/2004. http://ta.harrisgroup.com.au/news.cgi?type=1&id=142181.

5. Clarke L, McQueen J, Samild A, Swain A. The dietary management of food allergy and food intolerance in children and adults. Australian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics 1996;53(3):89-94.

6. Allen DH, Van Nunen S, Loblay R, Clarke L, A. S. Adverse reactions to food. Med J Aust 1984;141 (Suppl):37-42.

7. Loblay RH, Swain AR. 'Food intolerance'. In Wahlqvist ML, Truswell AS, Recent Advances in Clinical Nutrition. London: John Libbey, 1986, pages 169-177.

8. Swain Anne, Loblay Robert, Soutter Velencia. The Simplified Elimination Diet. Camperdown: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, 1997.

9. Swain AR, Soutter VL, RH L. Friendly Food. Sydney: Murdoch Books, 2002.

10. Bennett CPW, McEwen LM, Rose E. The Shipley Project. J Nutr Envir Med 1998;8(8):77-83. Superintendent Peter Bennett from the West Yorkshire police conducted this trial of the Few Foods diet with chronic juvenile offenders aged 8-16. All improved, some dramatically. Those who remained on the diet did not re-offend.

11. Towns SJ, Mellis CM. Role of acetyl salicylic acid and sodium metabisulfite in chronic childhood asthma. Pediatrics 1984;73(5):631-7.

12. Freedman BJ. Asthma induced by sulphur dioxide, benzoate and tartrazine contained in orange drinks. Clin Allergy 1977;7(5):407-15.

13. Fifty-first meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Safety Evaluation of Certain Food Additives: sulfur dioxide and sulfites; evaluation of national assessments of intake of benzoates; evaluation of national assessments of intake of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA); evaluation of national assessments of intake of butylated hydroxytoluene. Geneva: World Health Organisation, 1999. A recent WHO report which concluded that 20-30%  of asthmatic children are sensitive to sulphites - upgraded from the previous WHO, FDA and NAC estimate that less than 5% of asthmatics were sulphite sensitive.

14. Hodge L, Yan KY, Loblay RL. Assessment of food chemical intolerance in adult asthmatic subjects. Thorax 1996;51(8):805-9.

15. Petrus M, Bonaz S, Causse E, Rhabbour M, Moulie N, Netter JC, et al. Asthmé et intolérance aux benzoates. Arch Pédiatr 1996;3(10):984-7. A girl who was diagnosed with asthma at the age of twelve months took asthma medication continously for seven years at which time she was admitted to hospital for severe asthma about once a month.When tested for additive sensitivity, she reacted to benzoates which were in her asthma medication and some frequently consumed foods and drinks. When she avoided benzoates, her asthma resolved.

16. Jenkins C, Costello J, Hodge L. Systematic review of prevalence of aspirin induced asthma and its implications for clinical practice. Brit Med J 2004;328(7437):434. This review found that many more adult asthmatics are sensitive to salicylates than are aware of their sensitivity. While only 3% reported aspirin sensitivity, 21% of adult asthmatics reacted to oral challenges.

17. Allen DH, Delohery J, Baker G. Monosodium L-glutamate-induced asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1987;80(4):530-7.

18. Hill DJ, Firer MA, Shelton MJ, Hosking CS. Manifestations of milk allergy in infancy: clinical and immunologic findings. J Pediatr 1986;109(2):270-6.

19. McDonald JR, Mathison DA, Stevenson DD. Aspirin intolerance in asthma. Detection by oral challenge. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1972;50(4):198-207. Asthmatics were given an aspirin tablet they were told was not aspirin. Those who reacted within 30 minutes blamed the aspirin. Those who reacted more than 30 minutes later (up to hours later) didn't make the connection.

20. Francis CY, Whorwell PJ. The irritable bowel syndrome. Postgrad Med J 1997;73(855):1-7.

21. Feingold BF. Dietary management of nystagmus. J Neural Transm 1979;45(2):107-15. A report of two cases in which improvement in nystagmus (eye muscle movement) was associated with the Feingold diet, eliminating artificial food colors, flavors, the antioxidant preservatives butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and salicylate-containing foods. The author proposes that a variety of neurological and neuromuscular disturbances (grand mal, petit mal, psychomotor seizures; La Tourette syndrome; autism; retardation; the behavioural component of Down's syndrome; and oculomotor disturbances) may be induced by identical chemicals, depending upon the individual's genetic profile and the interaction with other environmental factors.

22. Parker G, Watkins T. Treatment-resistant depression: when antidepressant drug intolerance may indicate food intolerance. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2002;36(2):263-5. Description of a patient with food intolerance probably contributing to his symptoms of depression and intolerance to psychotropic medication who improved considerably with an elimination diet. The authors conclude that 'the prevalence of food intolerance as a contributing factor to depressive disorders requires clarification. Clinicians should be aware of the possible syndrome and that it may be worsened by psychotropic medication'.

23. Rowe KS, Rowe KJ. Synthetic food coloring and behavior: a dose response effect in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study. J Pediatr 1994;125(5 Pt 1):691-8. A 21-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study identified 24 children as clear reactors to tartrazine artificial food colouring (102). The authors concluded that 'Behavioral changes in irritability, restlessness, and sleep disturbance are associated with the ingestion of tartrazine in some children. A dose response effect was observed'. As well,  with doses greater than 10 mg, the duration of effect was prolonged.

24. Swain A, Soutter V, Loblay R, Truswell AS. Salicylates, oligoantigenic diets, and behaviour. Lancet 1985;2(8445):41-2.

25. Shattock P, Whiteley P. Biochemical aspects in autism spectrum disorders: updating the opioid-excess theory and presenting new opportunities for biomedical intervention. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2002;6(2):175-83. The main premise of this theory is that autism is the result of a metabolic disorder. Peptides with opioid activity derived from dietary sources, in particular foods that contain gluten and casein, pass through an abnormally permeable intestinal membrane and enter the central nervous system (CNS) to exert an effect on neurotransmission, as well as producing other physiologically-based symptoms.

26. Rowe P. Diet for better life. The Star http://newcastle.yourguide.com.au 9/11/04. Four year old Ethan Cooper had been diagnosed with autism and a severe communication disorder last year. After six months on the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit's elimination diet as part of a research project, the improvements in Ethan have been 'quite dramatic' and Ethan was recently assessed with 'age appropriate speech'.

27. Slimak K. Reduction of autistic traits following dietary intervention and elimination of exposure to environmental substances. In Proceedings of 2003 International Symposium on Indoor Air Quality and Health Hazards, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, USA, and Architectural Institute of Japan, January 8-11, 2003, Tokyo, Japan, vol 2, pp 206-216. Abstract:

Effects of environmental exposure were isolated and studied in 49 autistic children. Elimination of food-related reactions entirely allowed effects of environmental chemicals to be thoroughly studied indefinitely in the absence of food-related symptoms. Initially unaffected by social contexts, the autistic subjects acted out the ways they were affected by their environment without the altering effects of societal influences; and severity of the adverse effects made observation and study easier. There was a strong correlation (P<.000) between environmental exposure levels and autistic symptoms and behaviors. There appeared to be nothing inherently wrong with autistic children studied. The children in the program (universal diet and clean room) returned to normal physically, in temperament, in awareness of surroundings and others, in emotions and empathy, and in ability to learn. Based on the results of the present study, a broad spectrum of severe and chronic autistic symptoms appear to be environmentally based, apparently caused by chronic exposure to volatile organic compounds, and appear to be fully reversible in the proper environment.

28. Dengate S, Ruben A. Controlled trial of cumulative behavioural effects of a common bread preservative. J Paediatr Child Health 2002;38(4):373-6.

29. Jacobson MF, Schardt MS. Diet, ADHD and behaviour: a quarter-century review. Washington DC: Centre for Science in the Public Interest, 1999. The authors reviewed 23 controlled studies on the effects of food colours and other dietary constituents on children's behaviour. The 34 page report or the two page executive summary in PDF format can be downloaded from www.cspinet.org.

30. Swain AR, Dutton SP, Truswell AS. Salicylates in foods. J Am Diet Assoc 1985;85(8):950-60.