[Neurodevelopment and cerebral blood flow in children aged 2-6 years with autism spectrum disorder]. / 2~6å²å­¤ç‹¬ç—‡è°±ç³»éšœç¢å„¿ç«¥ç¥žç»å‘è‚²ä¸Žè„‘è¡€æµé‡çš„ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the neurodevelopmental characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), analyze the correlation between neurodevelopmental indicators and cerebral blood flow (CBF), and explore the potential mechanisms of neurodevelopment in ASD children. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 145 children aged 2-6 years with newly-diagnosed ASD. Scores from the Gesell Developmental Diagnosis Scale and the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and CBF results were collected to compare gender differences in the development of children with ASD and analyze the correlation between CBF and neurodevelopmental indicators. RESULTS: Fine motor and personal-social development quotient in boys with ASD were lower than those in girls with ASD (P<0.05). Gross motor development quotient in ASD children was negatively correlated with CBF in the left frontal lobe (r=-0.200, P=0.016), right frontal lobe (r=-0.279, P=0.001), left parietal lobe (r=-0.208, P=0.012), and right parietal lobe (r=-0.187, P=0.025). The total ABC score was positively correlated with CBF in the left amygdala (r=0.295, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Early intervention training should pay attention to gender and developmental structural characteristics for precise intervention in ASD children. CBF has the potential to become a biological marker for assessing the severity of ASD.

A clustering effectiveness measurement model based on merging similar clusters.

This article presents a clustering effectiveness measurement model based on merging similar clusters to address the problems experienced by the affinity propagation (AP) algorithm in the clustering process, such as excessive local clustering, low accuracy, and invalid clustering evaluation results that occur due to the lack of variety in some internal evaluation indices when the proportion of clusters is very high. First, depending upon the "rough clustering" process of the AP clustering algorithm, similar clusters are merged according to the relationship between the similarity between any two clusters and the average inter-cluster similarity in the entire sample set to decrease the maximum number of clusters Kmax. Then, a new scheme is proposed to calculate intra-cluster compactness, inter-cluster relative density, and inter-cluster overlap coefficient. On the basis of this new method, several internal evaluation indices based on intra-cluster cohesion and inter-cluster dispersion are designed. Results of experiments show that the proposed model can perform clustering and classification correctly and provide accurate ranges for clustering using public UCI and NSL-KDD datasets, and it is significantly superior to the three improved clustering algorithms compared with it in terms of intrusion detection indices such as detection rate and false positive rate (FPR).

Non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation among Chinese college students of childhood emotional abuse: associations with rumination, experiential avoidance, and depression.

Background: Prior studies have proved the relationships between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) histories and suicidal thoughts or behaviors in adulthood, however, how emotion regulation strategies work as the mediating mechanism is necessary to be investigated. This study aimed to further verify the impacts of rumination, experiential avoidance (EA) and depression on the associations between CEA and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal ideation (SI) on a sample of Chinese college students. Methods: The Childhood Emotional Abuse Questionnaire, the Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Questionnaire, the Symptom Checklist, the Ruminative Response Scale, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale were completed by 1,317 college students. Results: The rates of NSSI and SI of students with CEA experiences were 31.70 and 7.90% respectively, both higher than those without such experiences. The mediating roles of rumination, EA and depression between CEA and NSSI and SI were significant (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The current study shed light on the linking roles of rumination, EA and depression in the relations between CEA and NSSI and SI. It is suggested that developing adaptive emotion-regulating strategies may be helpful to the intervention of suicidal thoughts or behaviors among individuals with CEA experiences.

Integrative analysis of γδT cells and dietary factors reveals predictive values for autism spectrum disorder in children.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a range of multifactorial neurodevelopmental disabilities characterized by a variable set of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Immunological abnormalities have been considered to play important roles in the pathogenesis of ASD, but it is still unknown which abnormalities are more prominent. METHODS: A total of 105 children with ASD and 105 age and gender-matched typically developing (TD) children were recruited. An eating and mealtime behavior questionnaire, dietary habits, and the Bristol Stool Scale were investigated. The immune cell profiles in peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry, and cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, and TNF-α) in plasma were examined by Luminex assay. The obtained results were further validated using an external validation cohort including 82 children with ASD and 51 TD children. RESULTS: Compared to TD children, children with ASD had significant eating and mealtime behavioral changes and gastrointestinal symptoms characterized by increased food fussiness and emotional eating, decreased fruit and vegetable consumption, and increased stool astriction. The proportion of γδT cells was significantly higher in children with ASD than TD children (ß: 0.156; 95% CI: 0.888 âˆ¼ 2.135, p < 0.001) even after adjusting for gender, eating and mealtime behaviors, and dietary habits. In addition, the increased γδT cells were evident in all age groups (age < 48 months: ß: 0.288; 95% CI: 0.420 âˆ¼ 4.899, p = 0.020; age ≥ 48 months: ß: 0.458; 95% CI: 0.694 âˆ¼ 9.352, p = 0.024), as well as in boys (ß: 0.174; 95% CI: 0.834 âˆ¼ 2.625, p < 0.001) but not in girls. These findings were also confirmed by an external validation cohort. Furthermore, IL-17, but not IFN-γ, secretion by the circulating γδT cells was increased in ASD children. Machine learning revealed that the area under the curve in nomogram plots for increased γδT cells combined with eating behavior/dietary factors was 0.905, which held true in both boys and girls and in all the age groups of ASD children. The decision curves showed that children can receive significantly higher diagnostic benefit within the threshold probability range from 0 to 1.0 in the nomogram model. CONCLUSIONS: Children with ASD present with divergent eating and mealtime behaviors and dietary habits as well as gastrointestinal symptoms. In peripheral blood, γδT cells but not αßT cells are associated with ASD. The increased γδT cells combined with eating and mealtime behavior/dietary factors have a high value for assisting in the diagnosis of ASD.

Interrelation between homocysteine metabolism and the development of autism spectrum disorder in children.

Evidence is emerging that dysregulation of circulating concentrations of homocysteine, an important intermediate in folate and vitamin B12 metabolism, is associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but comprehensive assessments and correlations with disease characteristics have not been reported. Multivariate ordinal regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to estimate independent correlations between serum homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12 levels and clinical outcomes and severity of children with ASD. After adjusting for confounding factors, serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in children with ASD than in healthy controls (ß: 0.370; 95% CI: 0.299~0.441, p < 0.001). Moreover, homocysteine had a good diagnostic ability for distinguishing children with ASD from healthy subjects (AUC: 0.899, p < 0.001). The RCS model indicated a positive and linear association between serum homocysteine and the risk of ASD. The lowest quartile of folate was positively associated with ASD severity (OR: 4.227, 95% CI: 1.022~17.488, p = 0.041) compared to the highest quartile, and serum folate showed a negative and linear association with ASD severity. In addition, decreased concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 were associated with poor adaptive behavior developmental quotients of the Gesell Developmental Schedules (p < 0.05). Overall, an increased homocysteine level was associated with ASD in a linear manner and is thus a novel diagnostic biomarker for ASD. Decreased concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 were associated with poor clinical profiles of children with ASD. These findings suggest that homocysteine-lowering interventions or folate and vitamin B12 supplementation might be a viable treatment strategy for ASD.

The role of probiotics in children with autism spectrum disorders: A study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental condition that begins in infancy or earlier and lasts through the individual's lifetime. The aetiology and mechanisms of ASD are not yet fully understood, and current treatment comprises mainly education and rehabilitation, without significant improvement in the core symptoms. Recent studies suggest that microbiota change in children with ASD after the ingestion of probiotics may improve the balance of microbiota and thus ASD symptoms. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study are to evaluate the efficacy of probiotics on the symptoms of children with ASD and the possible mechanisms involved. METHODS: This is a prospective controlled trial. A total of 160 children with ASD will be stratified and allocated to placebo and probiotics groups randomised according to the severity of their ASD symptoms. The probiotics group will be given probiotics supplements orally twice a day for 3 months and the control group will be given a placebo at the same amount, in addition to the baseline therapy of education and rehabilitation. All the children will be evaluated systematically by using different scales, questionnaires before, during, and after 3 months' treatment, as well as 3 months after discontinuation. The potential impact of probiotics on immunity and inflammation, metabolism, and metagenome will also be investigated. DISCUSSION: Our previous study showed that the abundance of intestinal flora was greatly different in children with ASD, and that Bifidobacterium was associated with the severity of ASD. In the present study, we will investigate the impact of probiotics supplementation on the symptoms of Children with ASD, with the purpose of evaluating the possible therapeutic effects of additives on ASD and of providing a reference for clinical treatment. The results will help to disclose as yet unknown relationship between probiotics and ASD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-2000037941).

Mutation pattern and genotype-phenotype correlations of SETD2 in neurodevelopmental disorders.

SETD2 encodes an important protein for epigenetic modification of histones which plays an essential role in early development. Variants in SETD2 have been reported in neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, most de novo SETD2 variants were reported in different large-cohort sequencing studies, mutation pattern and comprehensive genotype-phenotype correlations for SETD2 are still lacking. We have applied target sequencing to identify rare, clinical-relevant SETD2 variants and detected two novel de novo SETD2 variants, including a de novo splicing variant (NM_014159: c.4715+1G>A) and a de novo missense variant (c.3185C>T: p.P1062L) in two individuals with a diagnosis of ASD. To analyze the correlations between SETD2 mutations and corresponding phenotypes, we systematically review the reported individuals with de novo SETD2 variants, classify the pathogenicity, and analyze the detailed phenotypes. We subsequently manually curate 17 SETD2 de novo variants in 17 individuals from published literature. Individuals with de novo SETD2 variants present common phenotypes including speech and motor delay, intellectual disability, macrocephaly, ASD, overgrowth and recurrent otitis media. Our study reveals new SETD2 mutations and provided a relatively homozygous phenotype spectrum of SETD2-related neurodevelopmental disorders which will be beneficial for disease classification and diagnosis in clinical practice.

Gut microbiota changes in patients with autism spectrum disorders.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a high incidence of intestinal comorbidity, indicating a strong association with gut microbiota. The purpose of this study was to characterize gut microbiota profiles in children with ASD. Seventy-seven children with ASD [33 with mild ASD and 44 with severe ASD according to the Childhood Autism Rating Scale score] and 50 age-matched healthy children were enrolled. Compared with children in the healthy control (HC) group, those in the ASD group showed higher biomass, richness, and biodiversity of gut microbiota, and an altered microbial community structure. At the genus level, there was a significant increase in the relative abundance of unidentified Lachnospiraceae, Clostridiales, Erysipelotrichaceae, Dorea, Collinsella, and Lachnoclostridium, whereas Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Parasutterella, and Paraprevotella were significantly lower in the ASD group than in the control group. The presence of unidentified Erysipelotrichaceae, Faecalibacterium, and Lachnospiraceae was positively correlated with ASD severity. Notably, three microbial markers (Faecalitalea, Caproiciproducens and Collinsella) were identified in a random forest model with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.94 for differentiation between HCs and ASD patients. Furthermore, the validation model was consistent with the discovery set (AUC = 0.98, 95% CI: 97.9%-100%). The training and testing sets were more effective when the number of bacteria was increased. In addition, the functional properties (such as galactose metabolism, glycosyltransferase activity, and glutathione metabolism) displayed significant differences between the ASD and HC groups. The current study provides evidence for the relationship between gut microbiota and ASD, with the findings suggesting that gut microbiota could contribute to symptomology. Thus, modulation of gut microbiota may be a new therapeutic strategy for ASD.

Phenotype-to-genotype approach reveals head-circumference-associated genes in an autism spectrum disorder cohort.

The genotype-first approach has been successfully applied and has elucidated several subtypes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it requires very large cohorts because of the extensive genetic heterogeneity. We investigate the alternate possibility of whether phenotype-specific genes can be identified from a small group of patients with specific phenotype(s). To identify novel genes associated with ASD and abnormal head circumference using a phenotype-to-genotype approach, we performed whole-exome sequencing on 67 families with ASD and abnormal head circumference. Clinically relevant pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants account for 23.9% of patients with microcephaly or macrocephaly, and 81.25% of those variants or genes are head-size associated. Significantly, recurrent pathogenic mutations were identified in two macrocephaly genes (PTEN, CHD8) in this small cohort. De novo mutations in several candidate genes (UBN2, BIRC6, SYNE1, and KCNMA1) were detected, as well as one new candidate gene (TNPO3) implicated in ASD and related neurodevelopmental disorders. We identify genotype-phenotype correlations for head-size-associated ASD genes and novel candidate genes for further investigation. Our results also suggest a phenotype-to-genotype strategy would accelerate the elucidation of genotype-phenotype relationships for ASD by using phenotype-restricted cohorts.

Characterization of Intestinal Microbiota and Probiotics Treatment in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders in China.

Background: Most previous studies have found that human intestinal microbiota affect the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, but regarding this, there is limited data of non-western ethnicity. Probiotics can reconstitute the host intestinal microbiota and strengthen gastrointestinal function, however, clinical data proving the effect of probiotics treatment on ASD is lacking. Methods: This study explored the significant differences between ASD and neurotypical (NT), and the improvement of applied behavior analysis (ABA) training in combination with probiotics, vs. ABA training only. Results: We found significant differences between the ASD group and the NT group in the evenness of the intestinal microbiota and the relative abundance of the bacterial phyla and genus. At the phylum level, relative abundance of Bacteroidetes in the ASD group was significantly lower than in the NT group. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Ruminococcus, Roseburia, and Blautia in the ASD group was significantly lower than that in the NT group. After a 4-week ABA training program in combination with probiotics treatment, the ATEC and GI scores decreased more than the control group with ABA training only. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that intestinal microbiota is different between the NT children and the ASD children with or without GI problems. In combination with ABA training, probiotics treatment can bring more benefit to ASD children. Clinical trials with a more rigorous design and larger sample size are indispensable for further validation.

Pathogenic missense mutation pattern of forkhead box genes in neurodevelopmental disorders.

BACKGROUND: Forkhead box (FOX) proteins are a family of transcription factors. Mutations of three FOX genes, including FOXP1, FOXP2, and FOXG1, have been reported in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). However, due to the lack of site-specific statistical significance, the pathogenicity of missense mutations of these genes is difficult to determine. METHODS: DNA and RNA were extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes. The mutation was detected by single-molecule molecular inversion probe-based targeted sequencing, and the variant was validated by Sanger sequencing. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blot were performed to assay the expression of the mRNA and protein. To assess the pattern of disorder-related missense mutations of NDD-related FOX genes, we manually curated de novo and inherited missense or inframeshift variants within FOXP1, FOXP2, and FOXG1 that co-segregated with phenotypes in NDDs. All variants were annotated by ANNOVAR. RESULTS: We detected a novel de novo missense mutation (NM_001244815: c.G1444A, p.E482K) of FOXP1 in a patient with intellectual disability and severe speech delay. Real-time PCR and western blot revealed a dramatic reduction of mRNA and protein expression in patient-derived lymphocytes, indicating a loss-of-function mechanism. We observed that the majority of the de novo or transmitted missense variants were located in the FOX domains, and 95% were classified as pathogenic mutations. However, 10 variants were located outside of the FOX domain and were classified as likely pathogenic or variants of uncertain significance. CONCLUSION: Our study shows the pathogenicity of missense and inframeshift variants of NDD-related FOX genes, which is important for clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling. Functional analysis is needed to determine the pathogenicity of the variants with uncertain clinical significance.

Altered gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by impairments in social interactions and communication, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Several studies report a high prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in autistic individuals. Cumulative evidence reveals that the gut microbiota and its metabolites (especially short-chain fatty acids, SCFAs) play an important role in GI disorders and the pathogenesis of ASD. However, the composition of the gut microbiota and its association with fecal SCFAs and GI symptoms of autistic children remain largely unknown. In the present study, we sequenced the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, detected fecal SCFAs, assessed GI symptoms and analyzed the relationship between the gut microbiome and fecal SCFAs in autistic and neurotypical individuals. The results showed that the compositions of the gut microbiota and SCFAs were altered in ASD individuals. We found lower levels of fecal acetic acid and butyrate and a higher level of fecal valeric acid in ASD subjects. We identified decreased abundances of key butyrate-producing taxa (Ruminococcaceae, Eubacterium, Lachnospiraceae and Erysipelotrichaceae) and an increased abundance of valeric acid associated bacteria (Acidobacteria) among autistic individuals. Constipation was the only GI disorder in ASD children in the present study. We also found enriched Fusobacterium, Barnesiella, Coprobacter and valeric acid-associated bacteria (Actinomycetaceae) and reduced butyrate-producing taxa in constipated autistic subjects. It is suggested that the gut microbiota contributes to fecal SCFAs and constipation in autism. Modulating the gut microbiota, especially butyrate-producing bacteria, could be a promising strategy in the search for alternatives for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder.

Inherited and multiple de novo mutations in autism/developmental delay risk genes suggest a multifactorial model.

Background: We previously performed targeted sequencing of autism risk genes in probands from the Autism Clinical and Genetic Resources in China (ACGC) (phase I). Here, we expand this analysis to a larger cohort of patients (ACGC phase II) to better understand the prevalence, inheritance, and genotype-phenotype correlations of likely gene-disrupting (LGD) mutations for autism candidate genes originally identified in cohorts of European descent. Methods: We sequenced 187 autism candidate genes in an additional 784 probands and 85 genes in 599 probands using single-molecule molecular inversion probes. We tested the inheritance of potentially pathogenic mutations, performed a meta-analysis of phase I and phase II data and combined our results with existing exome sequence data to investigate the phenotypes of carrier parents and patients with multiple hits in different autism risk genes. Results: We validated recurrent, LGD, de novo mutations (DNMs) in 13 genes. We identified a potential novel risk gene (ZNF292), one novel gene with recurrent LGD DNMs (RALGAPB), as well as genes associated with macrocephaly (GIGYF2 and WDFY3). We identified the transmission of private LGD mutations in genes predominantly associated with DNMs and showed that parental carriers tended to share milder autism-related phenotypes. Patients that carried DNMs in two or more candidate genes show more severe phenotypes. Conclusions: We identify new risk genes and transmission of deleterious mutations in genes primarily associated with DNMs. The fact that parental carriers show milder phenotypes and patients with multiple hits are more severe supports a multifactorial model of risk.

Physical maltreatment of children with autism in Henan province in China: A cross-sectional study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of child physical maltreatment (CPM) in children with autism aged 2-5 years in Henan province (China), and to explore the risk factors for severe CPM in these children. This cross-sectional study was performed at the Psychology Clinic of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between September 2012 and September 2013 with 180 parents of children with autism. Children and parents had no history of any cognitive therapy. The childhood autism rating scale (CARS) was used to evaluate the severity of autism in children. Data on parental CPM during the past 3 months were collected from parental self-reporting. Logistic regression was used to investigate the risk factors of severe CPM. CPM was self-reported by 88% of the parents of children with autism. One hundred and fifty four of these cases were in the minor CPM group (86%) and 64 in the severe CPM group (36%). Most cases of severe CPM were unlikely to have caused injury. Univariate analyses showed that child's age (p=.018), age started to speak (p=.043) and CARS score (p=.048) were associated with severe CPM. Child's age (p=.011) and CARS score (p=.041) were independently associated with severe CPM. The risk of severe CPM increased with age and CARS score. Our findings showed that CPM is widespread in families of children with autism in Central China and more knowledge should be provided to parents of children with autism, particularly in cases of severe autism (those with high CARS scores).

Perinatal and background risk factors for childhood autism in central China.

Perinatal and background risk factors for autism were identified in a cohort of autistic children in Zhengzhou, China, to formulate preventative and treatment strategies for high-risk families. In this case-control study, children were screened for suspected autism using the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and diagnosed according to DSM-IV and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). We collected perinatal histories and clinical data of 286 confirmed autistic children treated at the Third Affiliated Hospital Children׳s Psychological Clinic of Zhengzhou University from 2011 to 2013. The control group consisted of 286 healthy children from area kindergartens. Maternal age>30 years, parental introversion as measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, low level of parental education, smoking, abortion threat, pregnancy complications, maternal illness during pregnancy, maternal mental health, family history of mental illness, neonatal jaundice, birth asphyxia, premature rupture of the fetal membrane, and gestational age<37 weeks were significantly higher in the autism group. These factors were significantly correlated with behavioral symptoms as measured by ABC scores (Kendall rank correlation). Birth asphyxia, neonatal jaundice, maternal age, parental introversion, family history of mental illness, abortion threat, premature delivery, and smoking were identified as independent risk factors by multivariate logistic regression.

[Parenting skills situation and need assessment among parents of primary school pupils].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate parenting skills and need among parents of primary school pupils and to explore influencing factors. METHODS: A total of 1 394 parents of rural and urban primary school pupils were recruited by multistage stratified random clustered sampling method. They were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire regarding demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, parenting scale, parenting need assessment, parent-to-child interaction attitudes, social support, physical/mental maltreatment experiences in childhood and so forth. RESULTS: Apart from TV/film/broadcasting, rural parents' utilization of other parenting deliveries was less than that of urban parents. Urban and rural parents both had high needs for parenting skills. Parents' physical/mental maltreatment experiences in childhood were risk factors for dysfunctional parenting. Positive parent-to-child interaction attitudes and high social support were protective factors against dysfunctional parenting. Mothers, parents of boys, middle/low family incomes, and parents with positive parent-to-child interaction attitudes had higher demands for parenting skills. CONCLUSION: We should make full use of mass media, interpersonal communication to meet the needs of parenting for parents, especially rural parents. More attention should be paid to parents with childhood maltreatment experiences, low social support and less positive parent-to-child interaction attitudes.

[Investigation on dietary nutrients among rural stranded children of 2-7 year olds in china].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the dietary nutrients among rural stranded children. METHODS: 2551 children aged 2 to 7, including 1278 stranded children in the rural areas and another 127 children served as controls were selected, using multistage stratified cluster random sampling. Dietary survey was performed with three-day weighing dietary method and questionnaire on food intake. Data on diet were analyzed and evaluated by the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) recommend by Chinese Nutrition Society, to evaluate the levels on energy and nutrient intake among stranded children in the rural areas. RESULTS: The dietary pattern among rural stranded children mainly consisted of grains and vegetables, but the intakes of animal products, fruits, and snacks were significantly less than in the control group. The intakes of three major energy-producing nutrients were below the recommend nutrient intake. Minerals as calcium, zinc, selenium, kalium and vitamins as vitamin A, B1, B2 were insufficient. Most of the rural stranded children took nutrients insufficiently, with 50% lack of adequate energy and 80% of protein, 90% of minerals (calcium, zinc etc.) and vitamins (vitamin BI and vitamin B2 etc.). Sources from high quality protein was insufficient, only consisting 35% of the total protein, but overabundant (over 64%) from the plants. The intake of plant-sources iron was overabundant, accounted for 87%. CONCLUSION: The dietary pattern was unsatisfactory with insufficient intake of energy-sources proteins and some nutrients. The sources of energy, protein, and iron were mostly obtained from underbalanced foods. It is necessary to improve the dietary nutrients status among rural stranded children aged 2-7 years.