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.
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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. For more information, visit www.aap.org.
