by A 12 YEAR OLD boy was left blind because he would only eat burgers and doughnuts.
The unnamed child who lived in the US had autism and struggled to eat many foods because he didn’t like the texture.
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The child started suffering from eye problems earlier this year, with his vision “darkness” in the morning and evening, improving only briefly during the day.
His parents took him to have his eyes checked, but no major issues were found.
Within six weeks, he was no longer able to walk without pushing his parents for support and was frequently running into doors and walls.
One night, he woke up screaming because he couldn’t see.
The boy was rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered that his poor diet had left him dangerously low on nutrients vital for healthy eyesight.
Despite supplements and nutritional therapy, experts wrote in the New England Medical Journal that the boy’s vision loss could be permanent.
Doctors from Boston Children’s Hospital said the boy has restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), an eating disorder that affects about half of autistic children to some degree.
A previously unrecognized eating disorder is reported to be on the rise in the UK.
Eating disorder charity Beat said in 2019 that calls from people with ARFID have increased sevenfold in the past five years, according to The Guardian.
Similarly, in the US, ARFID appears to be on the rise, with recent hospital data showing a significant increase in cases.
The condition can cause people to limit their food choices due to anxiety or dislike of certain colours, tastes, textures or smells.
The boy had no underlying conditions other than autism and ADHD.
He also had speech, cognitive and motor delays.
But two days before he was taken to the hospital, his parents noticed that his eyes were becoming puffy and a crust was forming around them.
The boy’s parents told doctors he was a “picky eater” and avoided trying new foods.
His diet consisted of hamburgers, French fries, ranch dressing, glazed donuts, and juice boxes.
He also refused to take vitamin pills or gummies because he didn’t like the taste or texture.
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Doctors discovered that the boy suffered from optic neuropathy, a condition caused by a malfunction of the optic nerve due to a lack of certain nutrients.
The disease causes a painless decrease in vision but if caught early, it can be treated with dietary supplements to replenish the missing nutrients.
However, if left untreated or not immediately linked to nutrition – as in this case – it can lead to optic nerve atrophy, which cannot be reversed.
What is avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder?
Avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder.
Children with ARFID are very picky eaters and sometimes have little interest in eating food.
They may eat a limited variety of selected foods, which can lead to poor growth and poor nutrition.
ARFID usually begins at a younger age than other eating disorders and is more common among boys.
What Are the Symptoms of ARFID?
Children with ARFID fall into three main categories:
- Some children are very picky eaters who may have strong negative reactions to the smells, tastes, textures or colors of foods. They may have an intense fear of new foods, known as “neophobia,” and a fear of negative experiences with unfamiliar foods.
- Some children may have a complete lack of interest in eating and have a very low appetite or get the most out of eating or not at all. These children often deny that they are hungry
- Other children are afraid of what might happen when they eat; for example, experiencing pain, choking, or vomiting
Some children with ARFID fit into only one of these categories, while others fall into more than one category.
Many children with ARFID are overweight. Others reach a normal weight but may eat such a restricted diet that they do not grow, or it interferes with their school, family and social life.
They believe the boy’s vision loss was caused by severe deficiencies in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, copper, and zinc from the boy’s limited diet.
Due to the boy’s lack of nutrients, he developed horizontal ridges on his fingers, as they were brittle.
The researchers noted that autistic children may be more prone to ARFID and other issues with food because of their unique sensory challenges, which make them especially sensitive to textures, tastes and smells.
‘It can’t be reversed’
The boy received supplements of vitamins A, C, D, and K, as well as calcium, thiamine, copper, and zinc, while in the hospital and his nutrient levels recovered.
He even started eating lettuce and cheese on his hamburgers after starting behavioral therapy.
His parents managed to sneak a clear supplement onto his juice boxes, but he soon noticed and started refusing them after a few weeks.
Writing in the journal, the researchers said: “Unfortunately, the patient’s optic atrophy was severe.
“This severe stage of vision loss cannot be reversed when detected at such an advanced stage.
“If detected earlier in the course of the disease, reversing the nutritional deficiency can lead to some improvements in vision.”
In 2019, a mother whose son went blind after eating nothing but crisps and chocolate spoke to The Sun to raise awareness of ARFID.
Kerry James, 45, was worried when her 18-year-old son Harvey Dyer said he couldn’t see him.
Doctors also ran tests on the boy who also had ARFID and found that all of his vitamin and mineral levels were dangerously low.
Doctors attributed his vision loss to a lack of nutrition in his diet.
Meanwhile, Bella Mildon, an autistic child from the UK, went blind after her limited diet of Marmite sandwiches, fries and water.
The doctors said that the 12-year-old child had a vitamin A deficiency.
