Gastrointestinal symptoms of patients with autism spectrum disorder

Background: Concern about possible GI dysfunction in ASD is intensified by high rates of feeding concerns and consequent medical sequelae in ASD. Etiological factors contributing to the pattern and prevalence of atypical intake in ASD remain elusive, but may involve pathophysiological processes in the GI tract. In this study, we evaluated the gastrointestinal symptoms of patients with autism spectrum disorder in Mashhad, Iran.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study performed during September ۲۰۱۵ and April ۲۰۱۸ on patients referred to pediatric gastrointestinal clinics of Ghaem and Noor Hedayat centers by definite diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). All subjects were interviewed to answer some questions about the gastrointestinal manifestations like constipation, chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, recurrent vomiting, gastro-esophageal reflux, nausea, and agitation. For each patient a checklist was completed including demographic, history and physical examination variables.Results: During the period of study, ۴۶ definite ASD patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the participants was ۷.۷۲± ۲.۸۰ years (range: ۲-۱۶). Most of the patients were male (۳۷, ۸۰.۴%). Diarrhea (occasional or chronic) was seen in six patients (۱۳%) and constipation in ۲۱ patients (۴۵.۷%).  There was no significant difference between the gastrointestinal symptoms and gender or age of the patients (P>۰.۰۵). An important finding in physical examination was tooth decay, which was found in ۲۱ patients (۴۵.۷%).Conclusion: GI symptoms, with the high prevalence in ASD patients, should be considered as major problems; and preventive strategies must be taken for resolving them. Constipation was the most prevalent symptom, which can be related to the nature of the disease or other mechanisms.

کلیدواژه ها:

Autism spectrum disorder ، gastrointestinal symptom ، Constipation ، Diarrhea