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    J Child Neurol. 1988;3 Suppl:S68-72.

    Controversies in the treatment of autistic children: vitamin and drug therapy.

    Rimland B.

    Institute for Child Behavior Research, San Diego, CA 92116.

    A survey of approximately 4,000 questionnaires completed by parents of autistic children provided ratings on a variety of treatments and interventions. Among the biomedical treatments, the use of high-dosage vitamin B6 and magnesium (n = 318) received the highest ratings, with 8.5 parents reporting behavioral improvement to every one reporting behavioral worsening. Deanol (n = 121) was next most highly rated, with 1.8 parents reporting improvement to each one reporting worsening. Fenfluramine (n = 104) was third, with a ratio of 1.5:1. Thioridazine hydrochloride (Mellaril), by far the most often used drug on the list (n = 724), was fourth with a helped-worsened ratio of 1.4:1. The research literature on the use of vitamin B6-magnesium is briefly reviewed, and mention is made of recent findings regarding high-dosage folic acid in autism and biotin in Rett syndrome.

    PMID: 3058789 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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    Patient drug information

    • Folic Acid (Folvite®)

      Folic acid is used to treat or prevent folic acid deficiency. It is a B-complex vitamin needed by the body to manufacture red blood cells. A deficiency of this vitamin causes certain types of anemia (low red blood cell c...

    • Pyridoxine

      Pyridoxine, vitamin B6, is required by your body for utilization of energy in the foods you eat, production of red blood cells, and proper functioning of nerves. It is used to treat and prevent vitamin B6 deficiency resu...

    • Thioridazine

      Thioridazine is used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia (a mental illness that causes disturbed or unusual thinking, loss of interest in life, and strong or inappropriate emotions) in people who have already been tre...