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Study: Completely Different Gut Bacteria Found ONLY in Autistic Kids
In yet another study we can file under “things parents already kinda knew,” researchers at Columbia University have found that the bacteria in the gut of autistic children is different than that in non-autistic children. Researchers are unsure if it is a cause, or an effect, of autism.
The study was reported in the American Society for Microbiology’s publication, mBio.
A bacteria from the Sutterella group was found in 12 out of 23 tissue samples of autistic children, but was not present at all in the non-autistic children studied. Jorge Benach, Chairman of the Department of Microbiology at Stony Brook University explains: “The Sutterella bacteria has been associated with gastrointestinal diseases below the diaphragm, and whether it’s a pathogen or not is still not clear. It is not a very well-known bacterium.”
Christine A. Biron, the Brintzenhoff Professor of Medical Science at Brown University and editor of the study, said “This paper is important because it starts to advance the question of how the resident microbes interact with a disorder that is poorly understood.”
The findings are significant because digestive complications can be very serious in kids with autism, contributing to their behavioral problems, the study authors noted.
Most previous studies looking at gut bacteria issues in autistic people used stool samples, not tissue samples. These study results are more definitive than previous studies that used stool samples, because tissue samples surgically removed from the gut are more reflective of the bacteria found in the children’s intestinal walls.
While the study uncovered an association between the bacteria and autism, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship, so more research is needed to explore the link between Sutterella and gastrointestinal problems in autism, the researchers said.
As the mom of a child with autism, I can certainly confirm that there is something funky about my son’s gastrointestinal system, which is totally contributing to the immense challenge of potty-training him.
I’d like to note this is a small study, and that the Suterella bacteria was not found in every autistic child they studied. However, I’m thrilled that this important area is being researched. Just as some parents of kids with ADHD have found that diet impacts their children’s behavior, tons of parents of autistic kids swear that that what their kids eat is hugely important. Many of these parents say that a gluten-free, casein-free diet helps their children, and believe that there is something wrong with how their kids’ guts absorb food.
I’m looking forward to more research, and hopefully larger studies, on Suterella and autism. Given the overlap between ADHD and autism, I’d love to know what’s cooking in my ADHD daughter’s gut, too.
(Photo credit: arztsamui)
Talk back! If you have a child with autism, how does diet impact his or her behavior and cognitive function? Have you tried the gluten-free, casein-free diet? Did it help?
You can read more from Joslyn at her blog, stark. raving. mad. mommy., where sometimes autism is hilarious. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitterfor even more funny.
For more info, Babble rounded up 25 of the Top Autism Spectrum Blogs!
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25 Comments
goddess commented on Jan 11 12 at 11:06 amGee, won’t it really be something if the next study finds out that the MMR just MIGHT trigger autism in individuals with underlying disorders????? @@
CW commented on Jan 11 12 at 11:41 amWe are one month into trying the gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free diet. It seems to be helping, but it’s hard to tease apart the impact of nutrition vs. simply getting older because my DD was making progress even before we changed her diet. I figure that it cannot hurt assuming that we make sure she gets enough calories, protein, and calcium from other sources.
natasha commented on Jan 11 12 at 11:54 amHmmmmm?? my son has never had back-end potty problems….but hes been a puker his whole life. Hell be randomly super sick for about 30 min, puke and go on about his business. In the car, when air is to warm, for no reason at all….all end in puking. Dont even get me started about when he is actually sick…blech! Wonder if this has any impact on that whole idea??
Suzie commented on Jan 11 12 at 12:29 pmI would like to see a study tracking autism in children who were given infant formula. Formula can disrupt gut flora for sure.
goddess commented on Jan 11 12 at 12:32 pmWouldn’t we have seen a decrease in the incidence of autism instead of a skyrocketing increase in the past few generations then Suzie? – with higher breastfeeding rates than when I was a baby and most babies had formula (or a Carnation mixture)
Suzie commented on Jan 11 12 at 12:42 pmThey didn’t diagnose back then, and really not that many people breastfeed without ANY formula. I’m not saying yea or nay, just saying to look at the data would be interesting. I would not be surprised if it was a factor in some cases. Not that the formula causes autism, but that it disrupts the gut flora and in some that would be expressed as autism.
Cayenna commented on Jan 11 12 at 12:44 pmMy autistic son’s speech improved at least 6 months developmentally in the first 6 weeks he was gluten and casein free.He had been a puker his whole life, and potty training was a joke till he was GFCF. I am ADHD and have had severe depression problems my entire life. Going GFCF as well has let me control it for the first time in my life.
I am THRILLED that there is finally research being done on this.
If we had continued on a normal diet, my son would have been in an isolated classroom by halfway through kindergarten. He is now 15, and an honor student in gifted classes. He is in the marching band, and just returned from a trip to Hawaii where they performed in Pearl Harbor. He has FRIENDS!
If you have an autistic loved one, you know why writing that brings me to tears.
Sarah Woods commented on Jan 11 12 at 12:49 pmVERY Interesting. Here’s our GF/CF story, again. :-)
My son, Braeden, (age 8) was diagnosed epilepsy, aspergers, allergic rhinitis, sensory integration dysfunction, inattentive ADHD. After years of new symptoms, no answers, failed meds and lots of mommy researching, I decided to keep pushing forward and have celiac ruled IN. His blood tests were actually negative (either because IGA deficient or because they are unreliable). We started him on the GF/CF diet Aug 27 and instant improvements. The ADHD and sensory diagnosis were REMOVED. He barely meets diagnostic criteria for aspergers. No more allergy type symptoms. He’s growing! Happy! Himself! Seizure free. EEG also showed subclinical seizure activity is much less frequent and less areas of the brain are affected. Amazing.
goddess commented on Jan 11 12 at 12:55 pmDefinitely worth taking a gander. I truly believe you[‘re going to find it to be similar to migraines, in that different triggers provoke a response in different people.
littlefrogs commented on Jan 11 12 at 12:57 pmActually, what the study found was the children with GI problems without autism did not have the same bacteria as half the children with autism and GI problems.
That is not to say that this bacteria is ONLY found in children with autism.
Suzie commented on Jan 11 12 at 1:00 pmYeah, that’s a good point, LITTLEFROGS, it’s not that the gut flora issue CAUSES autism either, just a similar “symptom”…
Deb commented on Jan 11 12 at 1:27 pmIn response to the question regarding breast feeding vs. formula….my daughter on the spectrum was breast fed for 8 months, then formula until a year old. My “typical” daughter was on formula from birth until a year old.
However, my DD has had digestive issues….very loose stool until about 6 years old. Docs had done testing, stool samples, etc., even tried gluten free diet for about 6-7 months and then 6 months of dairy free. Had to do the “free” diets separately to pinpoint which was the culrpit. But no improvement with either.
We do find that dairy affects behavior, so it is very limited, especially after late afternoon….bedtime/sleeping improved.
Would be very interesting to determine the source of this bacteria and if it is found in foods, environment, etc.
Linda, t.o.o. commented on Jan 11 12 at 1:42 pm@Joslyn, do you have a science background?
Jeanne-Marie Peterson commented on Jan 11 12 at 1:58 pmI have a Master’s in special education and have had the privilege of teaching kids with autism for years. The gluten-free, casein-free diet works! I highly recommend The ADHD and Autism Kids’ Cookbook.
The Autism Research Institute has been saying all along that kids with autism benefit from certain special diets… I’m hoping that mainstream medicine will catch up!
CW commented on Jan 11 12 at 5:02 pmMy formula-fed kiddo (not by choice) is a social butterfly and verbally very advanced while my two exclusively breast-fed kids had/have speech delays and the youngest also has autism. I don’t think there is a correlation.
Ludmilla Wightman commented on Jan 11 12 at 6:05 pmI wonder how much of the 13.7 Billion dollars annual NIH budget is spent on a serious study of the environment and kids with autism, ADHD? I think that we as concerned citizen must insist that our kids are not born with up to 300 man-made chemicals in their body (see the President’s Cancer Board Annual Report of 2009). According to Time magazine, every citizen of the USA has ~120 man-made chemicals in his or her body. To me it means that many of todays problems of kids: obesity, diabetes, early puberty, some birth defects, learning disabilities are the result of the exposure to many neurotoxins like flame-retardants, hormone disruptors like Biphenol-A in soft drinks cans, or asthma in kids who are taking tylenol. The list is long. It is time to wake up and insist that our taxes are spent on research on the role of the environment on the health of our children.
Ludmilla Wightman commented on Jan 11 12 at 6:05 pmI wonder how much of the 13.7 Billion dollars annual NIH budget is spent on a serious study of the environment and kids with autism, ADHD? I think that we as concerned citizen must insist that our kids are not born with up to 300 man-made chemicals in their body (see the President’s Cancer Board Annual Report of 2009). According to Time magazine, every citizen of the USA has ~120 man-made chemicals in his or her body. To me it means that many of todays problems of kids: obesity, diabetes, early puberty, some birth defects, learning disabilities are the result of the exposure to many neurotoxins like flame-retardants, hormone disruptors like Biphenol-A in soft drinks cans, or asthma in kids who are taking tylenol. The list is long. It is time to wake up and insist that our taxes are spent on research on the role of the environment on the health of our children.
Chris Kay commented on Jan 11 12 at 6:44 pmOur son has autism and has experienced some gastrointestinal symptoms that were initially brought on by his first ever round of antibiotics at age three. His system couldn’t recover. We went GFCF for about a year. That got him back on track. Now we take it easy on the gluten, though he does get it and he gets a probiotic chewable daily. That probiotic has made an incredible difference and with the results of the study it makes sense. I strongly recommend it to other spectrum families!!
Regan commented on Jan 11 12 at 7:24 pmMy son, Peyton, is now 3.5 yrs old. Diagnosed in Feb 2011 with Aspergers. I was unable to breastfeed due to illness and medication I took while pregnant. I developed Common Variable Immune Disorder (CVID) and was on life support during my third trimester. I also have psoriasis which is another form of an immune disorder. Peyton does not have ADHD. He does have a Multicystic Displastic Kidney which is still functioning, but is near death. Not to worry, this is what is best. If it dies, there is no chance of infection. This was also found before my illness occured. I just wanted to give a little background incase anything similar happened with their child/pregnancy.
Peyton could only handle soy formula, but handled cows milk fine. He still loves it today….if you add strawberry syrup. Peyton does have issues with “wet” foods. He will not try sauces, gravies, etc. He finally tried tomatoes and loves them despite the “wet” texture. His main two foods are chicken nuggets or strips and pizza. He loves rolls, donuts, pudding, banannas, etc. He has, on occassion, tried shrimp and likes it, but has trouble trying it again at a later date. He does take Omega 3 vitamins daily. I have seen great improvement since he started taking those in April. I cannot imagine changing his diet since he refuses to even try anything else. If I cut out the pizza and chicken nuggets, what would he eat?? I struggle with trying to be creative in just getting him to eat those some days. Anyone else have similar issues?
Leanne commented on Jan 11 12 at 9:52 pmFormula use – including even a single supplement in hospital, which is really routine and sometimes done behind parent’s backs by staff – is only one piece of the gut flora problems we have as a society. Antibiotic use regularly kills off virtually all of the bacteria in the body and what grows back each time has less and less good bacteria. So, let’s say you start with a mother who has had a number of anitbiotic therapies in her lifetime. She has compromised gut flora. Then she’s given routine antibiotics in labour, the bacteria passed on to her vaginally born child is further compromised. If she instead gets a c-section, she’s given an even stronger antibiotic pre-surgery and the baby isn’t properly colonised because it didn’t travel through the birth canal. Then you have a baby who is not getting it’s initial dose of bacteria at all and the bacteria is gets from it’s mother is even further compromised. Etc, etc, etc. Add to all that the use of antibacterial soaps and gels, the almost OCD like washing of children every single day, the gross overuse of antibiotics in our conventional meat supply, the fact that fewer children play outside or play outside for very long and when they do are far less likely to be digging around in the dirt (and getting exposed to beneficial bacteria), the over pasteurization of foods and the massive decline in “real food” made in the home and the loss of traditional foodways (how many people still make their own yogurt, kimchi or sauerkraut like their (great) grandparents?) Studies have been emerging in the last couple years that are pegging impaired gut function with depression, poor mental/mood functioning, Type 2 diabetes, thyroid problems, obesity, etc, etc, etc. That there is a very strong link between a specific type of gut flora and autism and other mental function disorders such as ADHD does not surprise me in the least.
bob commented on Jan 12 12 at 9:20 amI want to point out that there could be many reasons why gut flora could be different now than in the past. Basically anything that altered the larger environment could contribute… Off the top of my head: more/diffierent/stronger antibiotics; changes to soap, or to cleaning approaches; different materials for storage containers; changes to farming practices, pesticides/antibiotics/livestock feed; increased backsleeping or reduced SIDS rates. Could be anything, or any combo! Its not as though everything has been constant over time except for breastfeeding and vaccination practices.
Trina commented on Jan 12 12 at 3:00 pmboth my kids was breast fed for over 12 months, and only one has autism.
My son showed signs even before his MMR shot. So I do not believe it has anything to do with shots, or breastfeeding vs. formula feeding.
Robert Dole commented on Jan 12 12 at 8:29 pmAutism: The Eusocial Hominid Hypothesis
http://www.scribd.com/doc/74944514/Abstract:
ASDs (autism spectrum disorders) are hypothesized as one of many adaptive human cognitive variations that have been maintained in modern populations via multiple genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Introgression from “archaic” hominids (adapted for less demanding social environments) is conjectured as the source of initial intraspecific heterogeneity because strict inclusive fitness does not adequately model the evolution of distinct, copy-number sensitive phenotypes within a freely reproducing population.
Evidence is given of divergent encephalization and brain organization in the Neanderthal (including a ~1520 cc cranial capacity, larger than that of modern humans) to explain the origin of the autism subgroup characterized by abnormal brain growth.
Autism and immune dysfunction are frequently comorbid. This supports an admixture model in light of the recent discovery that MHC alleles (genes linked to immune function, mate selection, neuronal “pruning,” etc.) found in most modern human populations come from “archaic” hominids.
Mitochondrial dysfunction, differential fetal androgen exposure, lung abnormalities, and hypomethylation/CNV due to hybridization are also presented as evidence.
Bronwyn commented on Jan 14 12 at 7:30 pmMy almost 5 year old son has Autism. He was breastfed until 15 months, having formula only a handful of times. He had gut issues from birth and he was dairy-free prior to his Autism diagnosis. After his diagnosis at 3, he went onto a GFCF diet and we saw improvement in his behaviour and social interactions and I believe it has been the spring board for the huge improvements he has made in the last 2 years.
I REALLY hope there is more research in this area.
@Peyton: Two of my son’s favourite foods are chicken schnitzel (big chicken nuggets, really!) and pizza. We make both at home. The schnitzel with gluten-free flour and gluten-free bread crumbs and the pizza with gluten-free bread mix and just top with tomato paste and ham. Good luck!
Leah P commented on Jan 17 12 at 7:27 amI think that there is more than one cause or trigger, but I do believe that epigeneitc changes have occurred in a subset of our population over the last generation or so which have rendered some of our children especially susceptible to damage, whether from vaccinations, environmental toxins, or biological anomalies. Epigenetic changes can be triggered be seemingly slight exposures in a parent or grandparent that effect their children, grandchildren, and so on – and it happens quickly, in the space of a single generation. They can turn on the celiac gene, turn off cancer-fighting genes, and change the ways in which our children’s immune systems work triggering more allergies, asthma, digestive problems, etc. We are now exposed to so many toxins and chemicals that we’ve never seen before that it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to track down all the culprits, not to mention the triggers.
As for us, we have 2 girls on the spectrum, one ASD and one Aspergers, and a boy with ADHA. Only one, the oldest (with aspergers), has been vaccinated at all, and while her shots didn’t trigger her autism, she reacted badly – outside the normal range of reactions. As a result, the younger 2 remain unvaccinated, but still have ADHA and ASD. They are also all Celiac (can’t digest gluten), as is my husband – something we discovered when our son was 20mos old.. With the exception of the oldest, they’ve been GF since they were little or, in the case of the youngest, since infancy, and EXCLUSIVELY breastfed without any formula supplementation – the boy with ADHA BF until 18mos and the baby with ASD BF until she was 3. I don’t think that we’re going to find a simple, straight-forward answer that fits all our children, but I think that we need to start working together. The it’s-all-vaccines and its-all-genetic camps need to put down their weapons and embrace each other, AND the possibility it is both and that, sometimes, it is neither of these things. Doctors need to start taking us seriously when we say that our kids’ immune systems aren’t the same, that they don’t react to vaccines the same, or antibiotics the same, or allergens the same way as typical kids. That autism is more than a disorder in the mind, period.
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