Gastrointestinal symptoms in children language regression with ASD

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1: Pediatr Neurol. 2008 Dec;39(6):392-8.Click here to read Links

Gastrointestinal symptoms in children with an autism spectrum

disorder and language regression.

Valicenti-McDermott MD, McVicar K, Cohen HJ, Wershil BK, Shinnar S.

Department of Pediatrics, Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation

Center, Rose F. Kennedy Center of Excellence in Developmental

Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.

Few studies have compared gastrointestinal problems in children with an

autism spectrum disorder with and without a history of language

regression. A cross-sectional study was conducted with structured

interviews in 100 children with autism spectrum disorder, using a

gastrointestinal questionnaire and a familial autoimmune questionnaire.

By parental report, children with language regression more frequently

exhibited an abnormal stool pattern (40% vs 12%, P = 0.006) and had an

increased family history of celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease

(24% vs 0%, P = 0.001) and of rheumatoid arthritis (30% vs 11%, P =

0.03). Among 35 children with a family history of autoimmune disease, an

abnormal stool pattern was reported more frequently in those with

language regression (78% vs 15%, P = 0.001) than in those without. An

association was observed between children with language regression, a

family history of autoimmune disease, and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Additional studies are needed to examine a possible shared autoimmune

process.

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