Is gluten free and casein free GFCF diet effective for individuals with autism.

Background: Even though the etiology of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) has not been clearly known, various types of therapies have been offered. One of the most popular therapies is Gluten Free and Casein Free Diet – GFCF diet. Methods: A structured internet literature search was conducted using Pubmed and Cochrane library. Titles and abstracts were screened using predetermined selection criteria. Critical appraisal was conducted based on standard criteria for relevance, validity, and levels of evidence. Results: Based on relevance, only four out of twelve selected articles can be used; one is a systematic review and three randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Several methodological problems which could lead to over-estimation of the effect were found in the studies including poor randomization and selective drop-out. Risk of under-estimation of report due to small number of participants and in-adequate duration of intervention was also found. Small to moderate improvement were found in some outcome measured including overall autistic traits, social isolation, and the ability in communication and interaction. However, insignificant differences also found in some area such as individual’s behavior, cognitive and motor function. Conclusion: Available studies fail to provide sufficiently credible and strong evidence to recommend the practice of GFCF diet in treating autism.

Oral health related quality of life in Indonesian middle-aged and elderly women.

Background: To assess oral health-related quality of life in Indonesian middle-aged and elderly women. Middle–aged women between 45-59 years old were included in this study, because this stage of life is important to prepare them entering the old age. Prevention could be done earlier in order to achieve optimum quality of life for the elderly. The purpose of writing this paper is to inform the policy maker to develop a framework in oral health prevention. Method: Cross-sectional study was done at East Bekasi district, West Java on 236 women 45-82 years of age. Measurement of health related quality of life was performed using the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) questionnaire. This questionnaire has already been translated to Indonesian language and has already been validated. Result: About 86.4% of subjects had a good oral health-related quality of life. Number of missing teeth and oral health-related quality of life have a weak correlation (correlation coeffi cient= -0.133, P= 0.041). Conclusion: Oral health-related quality of life did not depend on the number of missing teeth. These fi ndings may have implication for promoting education to middle-aged and elderly women in Indonesia about the importance of oral health.This policy frame work will be recommended to be implemented in hospitals, clinics, community care and institutional care.