DIET AND NUTRITION IN RETT SYNDROME: A LITERATURE REVIEW

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.159522503012

• Palavras-chave: "Rett Syndrome," "Rett Syndrome and diet," "Quality of Life," "Adequate Nutrition," "Epilepsy," "Gastrointestinal Problems," "Nutritional Therapy," and "Multidisciplinary Treatment."

• Keywords: "Rett Syndrome," "Rett Syndrome and diet," "Quality of Life," "Adequate Nutrition," "Epilepsy," "Gastrointestinal Problems," "Nutritional Therapy," and "Multidisciplinary Treatment."

• Abstract:

  Rett syndrome is a rare genetic neurological disorder that predominantly affects girls, characterized by a progressive regression of motor and cognitive skills, accompanied by a series of severe symptoms, including gastrointestinal problems and eating difficulties. These challenges make patient nutrition an area of high relevance in the context of complementary treatments. This paper aims to carry out a literature review on the influence of diet and nutrition on the quality of life of patients with Rett Syndrome, exploring nutritional practices and interventions that can mitigate the symptoms of the condition and promote general well-being. Thus, the review covers scientific studies published in the last 12 years, which address diet, quality of life in patients with Rett Syndrome and recommendations for adapted nutritional intervention, also discussing the difficulties faced by caregivers in implementing these practices. The research was carried out using various databases, including the National Library of Medicine (Pubmed), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and Periódicos Capes, in English, Portuguese and Spanish. The following keywords were used: "Rett syndrome", "Rett syndrome and nutrition", "Quality of life", "Adequate nutrition", "Epilepsy", "Gastrointestinal problems", "Nutritional therapy" and "Multidisciplinary treatment". The results show that adequate nutrition can play a fundamental role in relieving symptoms such as irritability, seizures, swallowing problems and improving general condition. Based on the evidence analyzed, this research proposes personalized nutritional guidelines that can help health professionals and family members build dietary strategies that respect the individual needs of each patient. However, by synthesizing the advances and gaps in knowledge about nutrition in Rett syndrome, this study reinforces the importance of nutrition as a central component in therapeutic support and quality of life for these patients.