New study says children with autism may not have more intestinal problems than other children

From the Chicago Tribune:

A new study casts doubt on a commonly held but controversial belief that autistic children have more gut problems than their peers.

The Mayo Clinic study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, found autistic kids in the study were more likely than their nonautistic counterparts to be picky eaters or constipated. But the researchers did not find a significant difference between the two groups when it came to diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, bloating, reflux or vomiting.

"We did not find a difference in gastrointestinal symptoms in total," said Dr. Samar Ibrahim, lead study author and a Mayo Clinic pediatric gastroenterology fellow.

For years, parents, physicians and researchers have wondered whether people with autism suffered from more digestive problems than the rest of the population. Many autistic children are following aggressive medical regimens aimed at treating suspected gut trouble, including multiple nutritional supplements, anti-fungal medication and perhaps an anti-viral or antibiotic drug. Many also are on a restrictive diet.



However, "such treatments should not be provided indiscriminately to children with autism unless there is explicit evidence indicating the presence of a gastrointestinal disorder in a specific case," the study authors wrote.

The study subjects were 121 autistic children and 242 other children. All were residents of Olmsted County, Minn., home to the Mayo Clinic. Comparing the cumulative incidence of gastrointestinal problems from birth until the late teens showed that the only significant differences were in constipation and feeding issues.

Dr. Mark Gilger, chief of pediatric gastroenterology at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, said he did not think the study settled the fiercely debated question.

"This is where you say further research is needed because that's the honest truth," said Gilger, who wrote a commentary accompanying the study.

It's possible that subgroups of autistic children might have specific gastrointestinal issues that would not be picked up in a general-population study, said Dr. Geri Dawson, chief science officer for the nonprofit organization Autism Speaks.

"There is more work to be done," she said.