How common are
gastrointestinal disorders in children with autism?
Thea Kuddo, MD; Karin B. Nelson, MD
We could identify no report that describes
the prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders in a representative group of
children with a diagnosis of autism compared with appropriate controls.
Thus, we found no evidence upon which to base a confident conclusion as to
whether gastrointestinal symptoms are more common in children with than
without autism. However, the frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms
observed in population-based samples of autistic children indicate that
gastrointestinal problems are not nearly as common in children with autism
as reports from pediatric gastroenterology clinics suggest.
Abbreviations
ASD autism spectrum disorder
GI gastrointestinal
MMR measles-mumps-rubella
VIP vasoactive intestinal peptide
Neuroepidemiology Branch,
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Correspondence to Karin B.
Nelson, MD, NEB/NINDS/NIH, Building 10, Room 5S221, Bethesda,
MD 20892-1447, USA; e-mail: knelson@helix.nih.gov
DISCLAIMER: All
information, data, and material contained, presented, or provided here is for
general information purposes only and is not to be construed as reflecting the
knowledge or opinions of the publisher, and is not to be construed or intended
as providing medical or legal advice. The decision whether or not to vaccinate
is an important and complex issue and should be made by you, and you alone, in
consultation with your health care provider.
"A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth."
-- Albert Einstein, letter to a friend, 1901
"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education."
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William C. Jarvis, September 28, 1820
"What's the point of vaccination if it doesn't protect you from the unvaccinated?"
-- Sandy Gottstein
"Who gets to decide what the greater good is and how many will be sacrificed to it?"