Gastrointestinal Problems in Children with Autism, Developmental Delays or Typical Development

Authors

Virginia Chaidez, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Robin L. Hansen, University of California, Davis School of MedicineFollow
Irva Hertz-Picciotto, University of California, DavisFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2014

Citation

Published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (2014) 44:1117–1127 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1973-x

Comments

Copyright © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York. Used by permission.

Abstract

Abstract To compare gastrointestinal (GI) problems among children with: (1) autism spectrum disorder (ASD), (2) developmental delay (DD) and (3) typical development (TD), GI symptom frequencies were obtained for 960 children from the CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) study. We also examined scores on five Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) subscales comparing ASD children with high versus low frequency GI symptoms. Compared to TD children, those with ASD [aOR 7.92 (4.89–12.85)] and DD [aOR 4.55 (2.51–8.24)] were more likely to have at least one frequent GI symptom. Restricting to ASD children, those with frequent abdominal pain, gaseousness, diarrhea, constipation or pain on stooling scored worse on irritability, social withdrawal, stereotypy, and hyperactivity compared with children having no frequent GI symptoms. Frequent GI problems affect young children with ASD and DD more commonly than those with TD. Maladaptive behaviors correlate with GI problems, suggesting these comorbidities require attention.