"The
situation is that about one third of children with autism will respond
to fish oil therapy. But rich in EPA - that's very important... and that's the
same for hyperactivity, dyslexia, dyspraxia."
On
Jan 31, 2003
The wonderful story of Hope Lewis, who found great benefit
on a high EPA Oil (such as MorEPA or Omax3), was featured on ITV's This Morning. Dr Chris Steele also explained how
similar supplements can assist many conditions, including night blindness, post-partum
depression and hyperactivity.
A transcript follows*:
Fern Kate was at her wit's end. Until a friend recommended a fish
oil supplement. Now Kate tried it, and against all odds Hope's behaviour started
to change within about ten weeks. And she's now a normal, happy little girl. And
to tell us more, Hope and her Mum Kate, are both here with us, and of course,
Chris Steele as well. Let's start with you Kate. When Hope was a little baby,
she was unusually calm…
Kate She was very, very quiet.
She was a very floppy child. Just was unable to sit up at six months' old, eight
months' old. And we had to sort of give her exercises by holding her hands just
to pull her up.
Fern But no-one at that point was diagnosing
anything out of the ordinary. … And when she was eight months' on she started
to bang her head against the wall, and at the side of the bed?
Kate
Yes, she would bang her head against the cot. She would stick her feet through,
and hold on and just bang her head. So we moved her to a bed, and then she banged
her head against the wall. And so we moved the bed out from the wall, and then
she would rock violently, and actually cut her back. So she actually got sores
there constantly.
Phillip Once she got older she seemed to be
in a constant state of confusion.
Kate She was always very confused.
If we ever went out it was always a case of: we always spoke to her and said 'look,
Hope we're going out shopping now', and take her hand, and lead her to the car,
open the car, help her in to the car, the seatbelt would go on, and close the
door. And you always explained everything to her. And she was very compliant but
there was always something missing. There was no spontaneity with anything.
Fern And she went to an ordinary school, but obviously things
were… she was slipping behind?
Kate She went in at four
and a half - she was the youngest child in the school. And she was put in a class
of thirty children with no help at all. Whereas, in pre-school she'd actually
been given a one-to-one helper, and she'd been put in a special-needs nursery,
but they just literally put her in the school…
Kate The
more that she became aware, I think.. we'd go one step forward and then two steps
back. So she would actually start to come out of her shell a bit, and school was
a very big thing. But once she realised she just couldn't cope she would almost
shut off, and she would spend the day at school, and the teacher would say 'oh
no, she's been fine', and then we'd take her home and this violent child would
just literally break loose.
Fern Frustration as well!
Kate
Very very frustrating. There'd be screaming.
Phillip What did
your GP say?
Kate We saw different ones, and we did eventually
change GPs. But they came up and said things like, 'well she has a learning delay'
or 'don't compare her to your other children. She'll come alright in the end.
Just give her time'. But the problem is when they get to that age, and there is
a big barrier between her and children her own age, that barrier can only become
bigger and more obvious.
Fern You are so funny Hope. Oh, I've got my tickly fingers going
on…..
Phillip So she began to lash out then did she?
Fern
And as mothers, we do know. It's not a matter of just become hysterical. We do
know… Anyway, there came this fantastic day when a friend of yours said 'fish
oil supplement. Try that'. And you found a particular pill that gave her a really
good high dose. And within ten weeks you saw a difference?
Kate
Yes, ten weeks. We saturated her with six capsules a day. And within ten weeks
she went up to Vaughan and said 'how old are you?' and he said 'forty-two', and
she just counted straight up to forty-two.
Fern And this is your
husband?
Kate [Nods]. And it was just incredible. I mean, she'd
lost the ability to count to ten previous to this.
Fern Language
came back. Reading came back...
Kate Yes. The reading she had
never quite grasped. And now she will read, I mean a simple book, but she will
read it through. And she's just doing brilliantly!
Phillip It's
a very specific string of fatty acids, isn't it, that does this? And I I know
that it's something that you feel very strongly about...
Chris
Yes, the product is very rich in a certain fatty acid called EPA. The body doesn't make this
type of essential fatty acid so you have to get it from your diet. And fish oils
- marine fish - are a very good source of this fatty acid. And when it came to
this country, we actually did show it on this programme, and we talked about it's
use in autism, hyperactivity, dyslexia..
Fern Of course we have
to reiterate that Hope was diagnosed with being autistic when she was five wasn't
she?
Kate Autistic tendencies yes.
Chris Now
looking at Hope you wouldn't say that this child is autistic. You know, she's
remarkably normal.
Phillip Is it a cure?
Chris
The situation is that about one third of children with autism will respond to
fish oil therapy. But rich in EPA - that's very important. Now, it's thought to
be a deficiency in some of these children, and that's the same for hyperactivity,
dyslexia, dyspraxia.. they may have a deficiency of this fatty acid.
Phillip
And even though as you say we're not making it ourselves, you can....
Chris That's right. And you're not getting enough from you diet.
Some of the physical signs of this are having dry skin, dandruff, goose bumps
on the top of the arm, dry brittle hair, and soft breaking nails, could be a sign
that you've got deficiencies of this EPA.
Phillip So if it could
help all these children....
Fern Brad Pitt, send some over to
him.
Phillip Yeah, for his dandruff... It should be available
on prescription shouldn't it?
Chris
Yeah well it should be.
There's a big trial going on now to eventually prove that this has an effect.
And when that trial is published in the BMJ then I'm sure that the Department
of Health will start to take an interest in this. Because I've seen dramatic results:
my secretary's daughter is dyslexic, and some dyslexics have poor night vision.
They don't like driving at night, and my secretary's daughter didn't. She's twenty-odd.
And I gave her refined omega 3 to take. And her dyslexia's come under control. She said
she drives at night now, she can see better. She didn't know she couldn't see
very well, she just didn't like driving at night.
Phillip So,
just quickly at the end there, you can't just get this from straight forward cod
liver oil tablets that we take?
Chris Well, it's there,
but it's a higher concentration in this preparation. It's very rich in this EPA…
[laughs] these two are having a great time aren't they?... And if a parent is
wondering whether their child has autism, there are one or two little tests you
can do. You can ask: 'does the child ever pretend to make tea, with a little teapot
and cup?' 'do they ever point to anything of interest?' And then a test that doctor
and parent is to say: 'can you show me the lights?' And an autistic child won't
point to whatever you're asking them to. And the final ….
Fern
Is it if the child isn't pouring the tea in to the teapot?
Chris
It's no imagination. They have problems with relationships; with imagination,
and communication.
Fern So this stuff: we have to look out for
the EPA in fish oils?
Chris That's right.
Fern
And it can help with everything including mood, general well-being and all sorts
of things?
Chris [Nods]. Post-natal depression... Patients get
on well with that.
Fern Give some to Sadie Frost as well!
Thank
you very much Chris. And thank you Kate. And Hope, you are fantastic!!
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*
For younger children below 5 years and after weaning - The liquid (not capsules)
may be given as a food additive, for example, in Yoghurt, smoothies. Please take
care, as fish oil can cause gastric intolerance in smaller children - introduce
it gradually to check for tolerance.
** Minimum content - The EPA &
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NB. Seek approval from your doctor before
giving supplements to children under 5. This information is only provided as a
guide to potential users and you should always read the instructions on the bottle/box
for the latest & most up-to-date information.
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