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A boy with autism was hospitalized for serious health problems resulting from his limited diet, according to a case report published November 4 in Pediatrics.

The 9-year-old boy was brought to the emergency room at Boston Children's Hospital complaining of severe hip pain, reports Healthday. Physical therapy was prescribed, but made the problem worse. Doctors did not know what was causing the boy's problem.

Subsequently, the boy's condition deteriorated. He developed a cough, rapid breathing, reduced oxygen intake and a rapid heartbeat. He was admitted to the intensive care unit as his condition was considered life threatening. The doctors were still unsure of the underlying cause of his health problems.

Additional testing was performed. These tests showed that the boy had "severe nutritional deficiencies." The child's mother told the doctors about the boy's limited diet. The boy was given intravenous vitamins that led to his improvement.

Dr. Andrew Adesman, from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York, told Healthday:

We know many children with autism spectrum disorder have sensory issues, are overly sensitive to certain textures, sounds and perhaps tastes. And many children with an autism spectrum disorder will have an insistence on sameness, are comfortable with routines and have difficulty with transitions. This case report highlights how atypical and narrow the diets are with some children with autism or other severe developmental problems, and that the potential for serious health consequences can follow."

When the boy went home, his mother gave him vitamins crushed up in food. He also received vitamin injections from his doctor.

Dr. Melody Duvall, one of the treating physicians in this case, recommends that anyone on a restricted diet take a multivitamin.

Here are some tips from the Indiana Resource Center for Autism for parents of children who are picky eaters:

make sure any underlying health problem is ruled out by your children's doctor

introduce one new food at a time and try to pick a food that has the same color or texture of foods your children will eat

use social stories to teach your children about the importance of eating healthy foods

try offering your children bites of food they really like in exchange for one bite of the new food

be careful about trying to hide one food in another food - if children figure out that you have tricked them, they may become suspicious of all food

Autism Speaks and the Association for Science in Autism Treatment have more information and tips for parents of children who are picky eaters.

Sources:

Pulmonary Hypertension Associated With Scurvy and Vitamin Deficiencies in an Autistic Child

What Happens When a Child With Autism Refuses Most Foods?