Plain language summary
Up to 46% of children report suffering from fatigue, which can affect their ability to learn at school, mental health, immune system function and quality of sleep. Where there is no medical cause for the fatigue, a deficiency of micronutrients in the diet may be to blame. In this non-randomised controlled trial, a group of 98 children aged 2–18 years old with unexplained symptoms of fatigue was examined. Children in the intervention group were advised to follow a nutrient-rich diet for three months, consisting of green vegetables 5 times a week, beef 3 times a week, 200ml of whole milk daily and the use of full-fat butter. The control-group followed their normal diet. Children who followed the diet showed a significant decrease in the need to sleep. They slept better through the night and took fewer naps. General fatigue and cognitive fatigue also showed greater improvement in the intervention group, but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. When analysing individual components of the diet, a significant improvement in cognitive fatigue symptoms was associated with eating green vegetables. A lower need to sleep was seen when whole milk was consumed almost daily. The authors suggest that nutritional advice is an elegant, and effective method for decreasing some symptoms of medically unresolved fatigue in children.
Abstract
Many children deal with fatigue for which no proper treatment can be given. A possible explanation for their fatigue is a micro deficiency of minerals and vitamins. In this non-randomized controlled trial, we clinically evaluated symptoms of fatigue in children for whom a nutrient-rich diet was advised. A group of 98 children (2-18 years old) with unexplained symptoms of fatigue was examined. The dietary modifications consisted of green vegetables, beef, whole milk and full-fat butter. Children in the intervention group were asked to follow the diet for three months, whereas the control-group followed their normal diet. The primary outcome was symptoms of fatigue, as determined by a PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, and secondary outcomes were compliance with the diet and BMI. Children, who followed the diet showed a significant decrease in the need to sleep (CI 0.83; 14.86, p = 0.03). They slept better through the night and took fewer naps. When analyzing components of the advised diet separately, a significant larger decrease in cognitive fatigue symptoms was seen for eating green vegetables according to the diet guidelines (CI 2.27; 30.63, p = 0.024). Furthermore, a lower need to sleep was seen when whole milk was consumed almost daily (CI 0.02; 14.62, p = 0.049). Our study showed that nutritional advice is an elegant, and effective method for decreasing some symptoms of medically unresolved fatigue in children.
Methodological quality
Allocation concealment
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