Good to be back! The last few weeks I’ve been walking a tightrope between school and freelance assignments. What’s more, our son has had some serious stomach issues. Two weeks ago, he was vomiting almost once a day.
Our son has always had a very sensitive palate. Both my husband and I can attest to a few Exorcist sessions with him on a consistent basis. But lately these incidents have become more frequent.
Past research suggests that gastrointestinal symptoms are commonly reported in children with autism. In fact, a recent study by researchers at Columbia University in New York found that children with autism and gastrointestinal problems had high levels of the bacterium, Sutterella, in their gut.
They found large amounts of Sutterella in 12 out 23 tissue samples from children with autism and gastrointestinal dysfunction but in none of nine typically-developing children with gastrointestinal dysfunction. However, the authors write, “...it remains unclear whether Sutterella species contribute to inflammation and infection or are simply normal inhabitants of the human microbiota in some individuals.”
What’s more, children with ASD who have gastrointestinal disorders may have behavioral problems, too. In a 2009 study by researchers at Yale University, children with gastrointestinal problems including those with ASD had higher scores on tests of irritability, anxiety, and social withdrawal. As mentioned in a previous post, my son has anxiety attacks. But it is unclear if these two things are related.
However, there is no proven causal link between gastrointestinal disturbance and autism spectrum disorder. In a 2010 study in Pediatrics, the authors write, “The existence of a gastrointestinal disturbance specific to persons with ASD…has not been established.”
So my husband and I thought our son might have a food allergy. My own allergic reactions ranging from hay fever to eczema makes him a prime target. We scheduled an appointment with a pediatric gastroenterologist. Meanwhile, we started eliminating certain foods such as oat cereal from his regular diet.
In addition, like many children with and without autism spectrum disorder, our son is a picky eater. He can subsist on a lunch time diet of hot dogs (sans bun) and carrots or pizza until perpetuity.
In fact, some research indicates that children with ASD may have slightly more food selectivity and problem feeding behaviors compared with typically-developing children. The key word is slightly: these differences are small. But many of these studies are limited and inconclusive.
For instance, children with autism were marginally more likely to show picky eating behavior than their siblings or matched typically-developing children, according to a 2008 study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. However, routine feeding behavior rates were the same in all groups of children although children with ASD were more likely to show problematic eating and feeding behaviors.
Our son has always had a very sensitive palate. Both my husband and I can attest to a few Exorcist sessions with him on a consistent basis. But lately these incidents have become more frequent.
Past research suggests that gastrointestinal symptoms are commonly reported in children with autism. In fact, a recent study by researchers at Columbia University in New York found that children with autism and gastrointestinal problems had high levels of the bacterium, Sutterella, in their gut.
They found large amounts of Sutterella in 12 out 23 tissue samples from children with autism and gastrointestinal dysfunction but in none of nine typically-developing children with gastrointestinal dysfunction. However, the authors write, “...it remains unclear whether Sutterella species contribute to inflammation and infection or are simply normal inhabitants of the human microbiota in some individuals.”
What’s more, children with ASD who have gastrointestinal disorders may have behavioral problems, too. In a 2009 study by researchers at Yale University, children with gastrointestinal problems including those with ASD had higher scores on tests of irritability, anxiety, and social withdrawal. As mentioned in a previous post, my son has anxiety attacks. But it is unclear if these two things are related.
However, there is no proven causal link between gastrointestinal disturbance and autism spectrum disorder. In a 2010 study in Pediatrics, the authors write, “The existence of a gastrointestinal disturbance specific to persons with ASD…has not been established.”
So my husband and I thought our son might have a food allergy. My own allergic reactions ranging from hay fever to eczema makes him a prime target. We scheduled an appointment with a pediatric gastroenterologist. Meanwhile, we started eliminating certain foods such as oat cereal from his regular diet.
In addition, like many children with and without autism spectrum disorder, our son is a picky eater. He can subsist on a lunch time diet of hot dogs (sans bun) and carrots or pizza until perpetuity.
In fact, some research indicates that children with ASD may have slightly more food selectivity and problem feeding behaviors compared with typically-developing children. The key word is slightly: these differences are small. But many of these studies are limited and inconclusive.
For instance, children with autism were marginally more likely to show picky eating behavior than their siblings or matched typically-developing children, according to a 2008 study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. However, routine feeding behavior rates were the same in all groups of children although children with ASD were more likely to show problematic eating and feeding behaviors.
Since our son hasn’t been diagnosed with any condition yet, discussing treatment options for him is premature. However, depending on the diagnosis and severity of the condition, options can range specialized diets such as the glucose-free/casein-free diet, drug therapy, or even surgery in some cases.
We are all counting the days until our appointment with the GI specialist. Until then, my family looks forward to ending our ride on this spew-tastic voyage!
*P.S.: Our son was diagnosed with gastritis. A two-month treatment of pepcid or prevacid should clear up the condition.
