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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Below are releases on studies appearing in the August issue of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
For Release: Monday, July 27, 2009, 12:01 am (ET)
GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS ARE NOT LINKED TO AUTISM, STUDY FINDS
Little data exists on a possible association between autism and gastrointestinal disorders, although the suggestion of such a connection has widespread popularity. Children with autism may, however, be more likely to have feeding and food selectivity issues that can lead to constipation, according to the study “Incidence of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Children With Autism: A Population-Based Study.” Researchers studied 124 children with a diagnosis of autism from birth to age 18. They looked at the incidence of five groups of gastrointestinal symptoms, including constipation, diarrhea, abdominal bloating/discomfort, reflux or vomiting, and feeding issues/food selectivity. No significant difference was found in overall incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms between the children with autism and the control group of children without autism. There was no evidence of increased incidence of malabsorption or inflammation in the digestive tract. Feeding issues and constipation were more common in the children with autism, which the authors concluded may be due to neurobehavioral factors associated with autism, such as need for routine and insistence on sameness in the diet. Some medications used to treat children with autism also can lead to appetite suppression and constipation. According to the authors, children with autism should not be treated indiscriminately with restrictive diets or dietary supplements, which should only be used for specific gastrointestinal disorders.
Editor’s Note: A commentary on this study, “Autism and the Gut,” also will be published in Pediatrics online on July 27.
PROBIOTICS PREVENT COLD SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN
In a study sponsored by Danisco, the maker of probiotics products, researchers found daily dietary probiotic supplementation reduced the incidence of cold and flu symptoms in children. The study, “Randomized, Controlled Trial of Probiotic Effects on Cold and Influenza-Like Symptom Incidence and Duration in Children,” included 326 children ages 3 to 5 in a child care center in China. Twice a day for six months, one group of children received a single strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, one group received a combination of L acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bi-07, and a third group received a placebo. Compared to the placebo group, the single and combination probiotics reduced fever incidence by 53 percent and 72.7 percent respectively; coughing incidence by 41.4 percent and 62.1 percent; and runny nose incidence by 28.2 percent and 58.5 percent. Duration of symptoms and use of antibiotics were reduced in children receiving probiotics, and these children also missed fewer days of child care. The use of probiotics to treat acute illness was not evaluated in this study. The authors suggest that the potential of probiotics to prevent illness is especially relevant in light of recent advisories against the use of cough and cold medicines in young children.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
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