Brief report: Association between behavioral features and gastrointestinal problems among children with autism

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Matthew J Maenner1, Carrie L Arneson, Susan E Levy

  • 1Waisman Center and Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705, USA. mjmaenner@wisc.edu

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|October 21, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Certain behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may signal gastro-intestinal (GI) issues. However, these behaviors were common in all children, limiting their use for screening GI problems in ASD.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasingly associated with gastro-intestinal (GI) issues.
  • Specific behaviors in children with ASD have been anecdotally linked to underlying GI problems.
  • Identifying reliable behavioral indicators for GI issues in ASD is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between behavioral features and medically documented GI problems in a population-based cohort of children with ASD.
  • To determine if specific behaviors can serve as reliable screening indicators for GI issues in children with ASD.

Main Methods:

  • Population-based study of 487 children diagnosed with ASD.
  • Comparison of behavioral characteristics between children with and without a history of GI problems.
  • Statistical analysis to identify significant associations between behaviors and GI history.

Main Results:

  • A history of GI problems was identified in 35 (7.2%) children with ASD.
  • Unusual sleeping habits, unusual eating habits, and oppositional behavior were significantly associated with GI problems.
  • These identified behaviors were also prevalent in children without a history of GI problems.

Conclusions:

  • While certain behaviors like unusual sleep/eating patterns and oppositional behavior correlate with GI problems in children with ASD, their high frequency in children without GI issues limits their screening utility.
  • Further research is needed to identify more specific behavioral markers for GI problems in this population.
  • Primary care providers should consider a broad evaluation for GI issues in children with ASD, not solely relying on these specific behaviors.

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