Gastrointestinal symptoms in children with an autism spectrum disorder and language regression

Pediatr Neurol. 2008 Dec;39(6):392-8.

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.

PMID: 19027584 [PubMed - in process]