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Autism and Antibiotics

Autism

Autism is a type of developmental disorder that affects the function of the brain in areas of thought, perception, and attention. Symptoms usually develop by age three. Children tend to have problems with communication (verbal and non-verbal) and interaction with peers. Speech and language skills may be delayed or absent. Some children develop unusual behavior patterns, such as repetition of activities or routines, unusual attachment to objects, resistance to change, or characteristic body movements (i.e., hand flapping, rocking, etc.). The range of symptoms varies from person to person and can be mild to severe.

The exact incidence of autism is unknown. According to the Autism Society of America, it affects about one out of every 500 children to some degree. It's four times more common in boys than in girls. In many cases, children go through a seemingly "normal" development until about 24 to 30 months, when they begin to show signs of developmental delay.

There are no medical tests for autism. Doctors make the diagnosis from observation of symptoms and developmental tests. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, experts recommend intensive early intervention programs. Depending upon the range of the child's symptoms, that may include behavioral training, music therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech/language therapy, sensory integration, and medications. < of Cause the>Doctors don't know what causes autism. In some cases it runs in families. Sibilings of children with autism have up to an eight percent chance of also being diagnosed with the condition. Ellen Bolte, a mother of an autistic child had a theory that symptoms may be triggered by some type of bacteria that produces a brain-damaging toxin. Her son had received intense antibiotic therapy for chronic episodes of fluid in his ears. He also experienced digestive problems and diarrhea. She theorized the antibiotics given for the ear problems disrupted the healthy bacteria normally living in the stomach - allowing toxin-producing bacteria to invade and colonize in the digestive tract. One group of bacteria known to produce these neurotoxins (brain toxins) is Clostridium. Treatment for the bacteria might improve symptoms of autism.

Several doctors turned down her theory. A doctor at Rush Children's Hospital in Chicago agreed to test the hypothesis. He prescribed the potent antibiotic, vancomycin, known to be effective against the Clostridium bacteria. To everyone's surprise, Bolte's son's symptoms dramatically improved. Sandler treated 11 more autistic children who also suffered gastrointestinal problems as infants and may have the bacteria. Nine of them experienced a clear improvement in autism symptoms. But once treatment was stopped, the children regressed and symptoms returned to the same point before antibiotic therapy.

Antibiotics are not a cure for autism, nor can they considered a long-term treatment because bacteria will eventually develop a resistance to the drugs, rendering them ineffective for all kinds of infections. (For this reason, most doctors won't even consider a trial therapy of vancomycin for autistic children.) However, the preliminary results may provide some clues for a future direction in autism studies. Researchers say about 25 percent of autistic children experience gastointestinal problems.

More Information

Autism Study Co-coordinator - Ellen Bolte, Rush Children’s Hospital, Rush Medical College. Phone 312-563-2103, Fax 312-563-2131, E-mail rushstudy@aol.com.

For general information on autism:

• Autism Society of America, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20814-3015, http://www.autism-society.org.
• Autism-PDD Resources Network, http://www.autism-pdd.net/autism.htm.
• Developmental Disabilities Branch, Division of Birth Defects, Child Development, and Disability and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop F-15, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, http://www.cdc.gov.
• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Clearinghouse, (800) 370-2943, http://www.nichd.nih.gov.

The information on this factsheet is not meant to substitute for a consultation with your physician or with another healthcare professional. Speak with your doctor if you have questions about any medical problem.

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