A longitudinal evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Bibiana Restrepo, Sandra L Taylor, Matthew Dominic Ponzini and 10 others
PMID 40877047WHAT IT FOUND
Children with autism reported gastrointestinal symptoms twice as often as typically developing peers, and these symptoms often persisted across childhood.
The presence and number of these unexplained symptoms were linked to worse sleep, anxiety, and social communication scores.
Key findings
01Children with autism had a relative risk of 2.04 for gastrointestinal symptoms compared to typically developing children, with symptoms persisting in 50% of those followed over time.
02The presence of gastrointestinal symptoms was significantly associated with greater impairment in social communication, increased internalizing behaviors, and more sleep problems.
03Among children with autism, a higher number of concurrent gastrointestinal symptoms was associated with worse scores in 22 behavioral domains, including sensory processing and repetitive behaviors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied on parent-reported symptoms via a questionnaire that has not been formally validated for reliability or validity in this specific population. Participants were recruited from a single center in the United States, which may limit generalizability to other populations. Attrition was significant, with fewer participants completing all three time points, which reduced statistical power for later analyses. The study excluded children with diagnosed GI conditions or food allergies, so findings apply only to 'unexplained' GI symptoms. The association is correlational; the study cannot prove that GI symptoms cause behavioral issues or vice versa.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by the National Institute of Mental Health. One author (D.G.A.) serves on the scientific advisory board for Stemina Biomarker Discovery and Axial Biotherapeutics, companies involved in gut microbiome research. Other authors declared no conflicts.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that treating the GI symptoms will directly improve the behavioral or communication outcomes. This study shows an association, not causation, and did not test any intervention for GI symptoms. The behavioral differences may be driven by underlying neurobiology or other factors unrelated to the gut.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →