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High Burden of Constipation Among Autistic Youth: A Nationwide Query Powered by PCORnet
Bruno P Chumpitazi1,2, Allison Zelinski3, Nicole Marchesani3
1Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Introduction:
Autism is associated with gastrointestinal problems; however, contemporary data on constipation prevalence and healthcare utilization are lacking.
Methods:
We queried >20 million electronic records of youth 6-17 years from 70 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Network health systems during 2015-2024, identifying diagnoses of autism, constipation, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations.
Results:
Among 578,807 autistic children, 22% had constipation vs 9% in nonautistic youth. Autistic children with constipation (vs without) had more frequent abdominal pain (34% vs 8%), emergency department visits (26% vs 3%), and hospitalizations for abdominal pain/constipation (16% vs 1%).
Discussion:
Approximately 1 in 5 autistic children have constipation and experience high unplanned healthcare utilization.
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