The New England Journal of Medicine recently published the case of a 12-year-old boy from Massachusetts (USA) with autism, who eventually lost his eyesight due to a fast food diet consisting mainly of burgers, french fries, donuts and bottled juice.
The boy, described by his parents as a “picky eater,” was completely resistant to trying new foods or vitamins because he didn’t like the taste. Doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital said he had “avoidance eating disorder,” meaning he would restrict the foods he ate because he felt anxious or disliked certain colors, smells, textures, or tastes.
A 12-year-old boy in the US suddenly lost his eyesight due to his favorite food. (Photo: Getty Images)
Earlier this year, the unnamed boy began having trouble seeing in the morning and evening, but his vision was normal during the day. However, his vision began to deteriorate rapidly and within six weeks he could only move around if his parents helped him through obstacles. One night, he woke up screaming that he couldn’t see anything.
The boy was then taken to the hospital for a check-up. Two days before he was taken to the hospital, his parents noticed swelling and scabs around his eyes. Sometimes he would just stare at the wall instead of the screen when watching TV.
At the hospital, doctors discovered that his diet was severely lacking in important nutrients that help maintain a healthy optic nerve. Specifically, the boy suffered from impaired vision due to a diet of fast food, leading to severe deficiencies in vitamins A, C, D, copper and zinc.
While in the hospital, the boy was given vitamins A, C, D, and K, as well as calcium, thiamine, copper, and zinc. He began eating vegetables and cheese on his burgers, thanks to behavioral therapy. His parents added a clear nutritional supplement to the juice he drank in hopes of improving his condition.
However, despite the supplements and treatment with feeding, experts still found that the boy's vision loss was permanent. The hospital discovered that the boy had optic atrophy, a condition in which the optic nerve cells shrink due to long-term damage. Doctors were concerned that "because it was detected too late, treatment would not be effective."
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/be-12-tuoi-nguy-co-mu-vinh-vien-vi-loai-do-an-duoc-gioi-tre-ua-chuong-ar907311.html
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