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Parent-reported gastro-intestinal symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorders
Susie Chandler1, Iris Carcani-Rathwell, Tony Charman
1Children's Neurosciences Department, Newcomen Child Development Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Staircase D, St Thomas Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
Insights
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience more gastro-intestinal (GI) symptoms than typically developing children or those with special educational needs (SEN). These GI symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, and soiling, were more prevalent historically than currently.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Background:
- Gastro-intestinal (GI) issues are frequently reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Understanding the prevalence and nature of GI symptoms in ASD is crucial for improving patient care.
- Previous studies have varied in their findings regarding GI symptom frequency in ASD populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of parentally-reported gastro-intestinal (GI) symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- To compare GI symptom rates in children with ASD to those with special educational needs (SEN) but no ASD, and to typically developing (TD) children.
- To explore potential associations between GI symptoms and factors such as cognitive abilities, ASD severity, and diet.
Main Methods:
- A population-derived sample of 132 children with ASD, 81 with SEN (no ASD), and 82 TD children (aged 10-14 years) participated.
- Data collection included parent-reported GI symptoms, diet, cognitive abilities, and developmental histories.
- Statistical analysis compared GI symptom frequencies across the three groups.
Main Results:
- Nearly half of children with ASD (46.5%) reported at least one lifetime GI symptom, compared to 21.8% of TD children and 29.2% of SEN children.
- Children with ASD exhibited significantly more past vomiting and diarrhea than TD children, and more abdominal pain than SEN children.
- The ASD group reported higher rates of current constipation and soiling compared to both TD and SEN groups.
Conclusions:
- Parentally-reported GI symptoms are significantly more common in children with ASD than in TD or SEN children.
- While GI symptoms are elevated in ASD, current symptom frequency is lower across all groups compared to past occurrences.
- No significant associations were found between GI symptoms and intellectual ability, ASD severity, regression, or dietary habits in this cohort.
Abstract:
The objective of this study is to investigate whether parentally-reported gastro-intestinal (GI) symptoms are increased in a population-derived sample of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) compared to controls. Participants included 132 children with ASD and 81 with special educational needs (SEN) but no ASD, aged 10-14 years plus 82 typically developing (TD) children. Data were collected on GI symptoms, diet, cognitive abilities, and developmental histories. Nearly half (weighted rate 46.5 %) of children with ASD had at least one individual lifetime GI symptom compared with 21.8 % of TD children and 29.2 % of those with SEN. Children with ASD had more past and current GI symptoms than TD or SEN groups although fewer current symptoms were reported in all groups compared with the past. The ASD group had significantly increased past vomiting and diarrhoea compared with the TD group and more abdominal pain than the SEN group. The ASD group had more current constipation (when defined as bowel movement less than three times per week) and soiling than either the TD or SEN groups. No association was found between GI symptoms and intellectual ability, ASD severity, ASD regression or limited or faddy diet. Parents report more GI symptoms in children with ASD than children with either SEN or TD children but the frequency of reported symptoms is greater in the past than currently in all groups.
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