(Press-News.org) Contact information: Phyllis Brown
phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
916-734-9023
University of California - Davis Health System
Children who have autism far more likely to have tummy troubles
The gastrointestinal problems are linked to problem behaviors in children with autism, developmental delay
Children with autism experience gastrointestinal (GI) upsets such as constipation, diarrhea and sensitivity to foods six-to-eight times more often than do children who are developing typically, and those symptoms are related to behavioral problems, including social withdrawal, irritability and repetitive behaviors, a new study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.
The researchers said that understanding the impact of GI problems in children with autism could provide new insight into more effective and appropriate autism treatments could decrease their GI difficulties that may have the potential to decrease their problem behaviors.
The investigation is the largest and the most ethnically diverse study comparing GI problems in children with autism, developmental delay and typical development, and among the first to examine the relationship between GI symptoms and problem behaviors in children with autism, the researchers said.
"Gastrointestinal Problems in Children with Autism, Developmental Delays or Typical Development" is published online today in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
"Parents of children with autism have long said that their kids endure more GI problems, but little has been known about the true prevalence of these complications or their underlying causes," said Virginia Chaidez, the lead study author who was a postdoctoral student in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences at the time of the study.
"The GI problems they experience may be bidirectional," Chaidez said. "GI problems may create behavior problems, and those behavior problems may create or exacerbate GI problems. One way to try to tease this out would be to begin investigating the effects of various treatments and their effects on both GI symptoms and problem behaviors."
The study was conducted in nearly 1,000 children enrolled in the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) Study in Northern California between April 2003 and May 2011. The children were between 24 and 60 months at the time when they were enrolled in the study. Their diagnoses were confirmed through assessments at the MIND Institute. Roughly half of the study population was white and one-third was Hispanic. The remaining participants were of other ethnic and racial backgrounds.
The study was conducted by asking the children's parents to complete two self-administered questionnaires, the CHARGE Gastrointestinal History Questionnaire (GIH) and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). The GIH measures such disorders as abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation and difficulty swallowing. The ABC measures challenging behaviors including irritability, lethargy/social withdrawal, repetitive behaviors (stereotypies), hyperactivity and inappropriate speech.
The researchers found that the parents of children with autism were six-to-eight times more likely to report frequent gaseousness/bloating, constipation, diarrhea and sensitivity to foods than were the parents of typically developing children. Similarly, parents of children with developmental delay were five times more likely to report constipation and far more likely to report difficulty swallowing.
"After years of parents raising concerns about such symptoms, the huge differences we see between parental reports on children with autism spectrum disorder versus those on children with typical development puts to rest the idea that gastrointestinal problems among children with autism spectrum disorder are just an accumulation of case reports," said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, principal investigator for the CHARGE Study and a researcher affiliated with the MIND Institute. "Our data clearly show that gastrointestinal problems are very common in children with autism."
Among parents of children with autism, those who reported their child had abdominal pain, gaseousness/bloating, constipation and diarrhea also significantly more frequently noted irritability, social withdrawal, repetitive behavior and hyperactivity than did those without GI symptoms. The only behavior problem that was associated with a GI problem in children with developmental delay was hyperactivity and only among those children with diarrhea.
The researchers said that the study suggests that a chronic GI symptom, which can cause pain, discomfort and anxiety, could contribute to increased irritability and social withdrawal, particularly in children with deficits in social and communication skills. For children with autism, hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors may represent coping mechanisms for physical discomfort.
In children with autism who have problem behaviors a full GI evaluation could be beneficial, especially in children who are non-verbal. For this population, appropriate medical treatment may alleviate undiagnosed GI problems, and it is possible that there also could be some improvement in problem behaviors, the researchers said.
The researchers did not address the reasons why the children with autism and developmental delay experienced more GI difficulties in this study. They noted that their findings suggest that the subject warrants additional inquiry.
INFORMATION:
The study was funded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (grants P01 ES11269 and R01 ES015359-03S2); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (grants R833292 and R829388); Autism Speaks (grant 7567); and a grant from the UC Davis MIND Institute.
At the UC Davis MIND Institute, world-renowned scientists engage in collaborative, interdisciplinary research to find the causes of and develop treatments and cures for autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), fragile X syndrome, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Down syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders. For more information, visit mindinstitute.ucdavis.edu
Children who have autism far more likely to have tummy troubles
The gastrointestinal problems are linked to problem behaviors in children with autism, developmental delay
2013-11-07
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Speaking a second language may delay different dementias
2013-11-07
Speaking a second language may delay different dementias
MINNEAPOLIS – In the largest study on the topic to date, research shows that speaking a second language may delay the onset of three types of dementias. The research is published in the November 6, 2013, ...
Floods didn't provide nitrogen 'fix' for earliest crops in frigid North
2013-11-07
Floods didn't provide nitrogen 'fix' for earliest crops in frigid North
Floods didn't make floodplains fertile during the dawn of human agriculture in the Earth's far north because the waters were virtually devoid of nitrogen, unlike other areas of the globe scientists ...
Monkeys use minds to move 2 virtual arms
2013-11-07
Monkeys use minds to move 2 virtual arms
DURHAM, N.C. – In a study led by Duke researchers, monkeys have learned to control the movement of both arms on an avatar using just their brain activity.
The findings, published Nov. 6, 2013, in the ...
X-rays reveal inner structure of the Earth's ancient magma ocean
2013-11-07
X-rays reveal inner structure of the Earth's ancient magma ocean
First look into molten basalt at deep mantle conditions
This news release is available in German.
Using the world's most brilliant X-ray source, scientists have for the first ...
Stress makes snails forgetful
2013-11-07
Stress makes snails forgetful
Snail study reveals that stress is bad for memory
New research on pond snails has revealed that high levels of stress can block memory processes. Researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Calgary trained snails ...
Annual car crash deaths in England and Wales have fallen 40 percent in 50 years
2013-11-07
Annual car crash deaths in England and Wales have fallen 40 percent in 50 years
But may still contribute to social class and gender differences in life expectancy
The annual number of car crash deaths in England and Wales has plunged by 41% over the past ...
Crime associated with higher mortality rates
2013-11-07
Crime associated with higher mortality rates
The new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE shows that people with drug-related criminal records in Norway have a mortality rate that can be up to 15 times higher than people ...
Discovery of HIV 'invisibility cloak' reveals new treatment opportunities
2013-11-07
Discovery of HIV 'invisibility cloak' reveals new treatment opportunities
Scientists have discovered a molecular invisibility cloak that enables HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to hide inside cells of the body without triggering the body's natural defence systems. ...
Study uncovers new explanation for infection susceptibility in newborns
2013-11-07
Study uncovers new explanation for infection susceptibility in newborns
CINCINNATI – Cells that allow helpful bacteria to safely colonize the intestines of newborn infants also suppress their immune systems to make them more vulnerable ...
Newly discovered predatory dinosaur 'king of gore' reveals the origins of T. rex
2013-11-07
Newly discovered predatory dinosaur 'king of gore' reveals the origins of T. rex
November 6, 2013, Salt Lake City, UT – A remarkable new species of tyrannosaur has been unearthed in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM), southern Utah. The huge ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Robotic space rovers keep getting stuck. UW engineers have figured out why
New research shows how immigration status can become a death sentence during public health crisis
University of Toronto Engineering researchers develop safer alternative non-stick coating
Good vibrations: Scientists use imaging technology to visualize heat
More ecological diversity means better nutritional resources in Fiji’s agroforests
New global study shows freshwater is disappearing at alarming rates
Scientists create an artificial cell capable of navigating its environment using chemistry alone
A little salt is good for battery health
Deep-sea fish confirmed as a significant source of ocean carbonate
How to keep kids with eating disorders home after hospital stay? Therapy
Sex differences affect efficacy of opioid overdose treatment
Aligning AI with Human Values and Well-Being
Engineering the next generation of experimental physics
The scuba diving industry is funding marine ecosystem conservation and employing locals
BATMAN brings TCR therapy out of the shadows
Surrogates more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness, study finds
Columbia Engineering researchers turn dairy byproduct into tissue repair gel
Global estimates of lives and life-years saved by COVID-19 vaccination during 2020-2024
Potential trade-offs of proposed cuts to the NIH
New research simulates cancer cell behavior
COVID, over 2.5 million deaths prevented worldwide thanks to vaccines. One life saved for every 5,400 doses administered
Scuba diving generates up to $20 billion annually
Scientists advance efforts to create ‘virtual cell lab’ as testing ground for future research with live cells
How DNA packaging controls the “genome’s guardian”
Simplified models, deeper insights: Coarse-grained models unlock new potential for ionic liquid simulations
Gorillas’ personal circumstances shape their aggression towards groupmates
Which signalling pathways in the cell lead to possible therapies for Parkinson's disease
Identifying landslide threats using hydrological predictors
First graders who use more educational media spend more time reading
Exploring the meaning in life through phenomenology and philosophy
[Press-News.org] Children who have autism far more likely to have tummy troublesThe gastrointestinal problems are linked to problem behaviors in children with autism, developmental delay