A 12-year-old boy in Massachusetts is permanently blind due to a diet of burgers, fries and doughnuts.
Doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital published about this patient in the American Journal of Medicine in November, noting that the baby was permanently blind due to a seriously deficient diet. The baby boy was born two months premature and suffered from lack of oxygen, but had no underlying medical conditions other than autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I have slow speech, slow cognitive and motor development, and have extreme obsessions with certain foods. He only eats burgers, fries with sauce, donuts, and canned juice.
Vision problems began appearing earlier this year, with the boy’s vision becoming blurry in the morning and evening, only improving during the day. Within 6 weeks, the baby cannot walk without help, often bumping into doors and walls. One night, the boy woke up screaming that he couldn’t see anything.
Doctors discovered that the boy’s diet left his body severely deficient in essential nutrients for vision, including vitamins A, C, D, copper and zinc. They fear the blindness will be permanent, despite vitamin and other nutritional supplements.
They noted that the baby had avoidant/restrictive feeding disorder (ARFID) – a syndrome that affects about 50% of autistic children to varying degrees. This form of the disease is quite new but is increasing, with 1/200 Americans limiting their eating due to anxiety or dislike of the color, taste, or texture of food.
A type of hamburger. Image: Pexel
Doctors diagnosed the boy with optic nerve atrophy, causing long-term damage to the cells in the nerve. They believe the loss of vision is caused by severe deficiencies of vitamins A, C, D, copper and zinc from a limited diet. Lack of nutrients also caused the boy’s toenails to develop horizontal ridges and become brittle.
Children with autism may be more susceptible to ARFID and other food problems due to unique sensory challenges that make them especially sensitive to the texture, taste and smell of foods. Children with autism often cling to routine, so they like certain foods.
The boy was supplemented with vitamins A, C, D, K, calcium, thiamine, copper and zinc. Nutrient levels returned to normal, she started eating lettuce and cheese in her burgers, after behavioral therapy. He was given a liquid supplement to his juice box, but refused to drink it after a few weeks.
The research team assessed: “Unfortunately, the patient’s optic nerve atrophy was very serious and irreversible because it was detected at a late stage.” If detected earlier, reversing nutritional deficiencies can help improve vision somewhat.
Vitamin A deficiency is one of the most common causes of blindness in children in the United States. Vitamin A is an important ingredient that helps produce rhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein that creates pigment in the retina, supporting vision in low light conditions.
Vitamin D helps the eyes produce tears, prevent dry eyes and remove dirt. Copper and zinc protect cells and structures in the retina. Vitamin C helps protect eyes from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Experts estimate that 70% of children under 11 years old are vitamin D deficient. 20% of children in the US do not get enough vitamin C.