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. 2022 Apr 1;14(7):1471.
doi: 10.3390/nu14071471.

Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Geraldine Leader  1 , Cathal Abberton  1 , Stephen Cunningham  1 , Katie Gilmartin  1 , Margo Grudzien  2 , Emily Higgins  1 , Lokesh Joshi  1 , Sally Whelan  1 , Arlene Mannion  1
Affiliations

Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Geraldine Leader et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

This systematic review aims to offer an updated understanding of the relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents. The databases PsycINFO, Medline, Cinahl, and ERIC were searched using keywords, and relevant literature was hand-searched. Papers (n = 3319) were systematically screened and deemed eligible if they were empirical studies published in English since 2014 and measured the GIS of individuals with ASD who were under 18 years old. Thirty studies were included in the final review. The study findings were synthesized under eight themes, including the prevalence and nature of GIS and their relationship with developmental regression, language and communication, ASD severity, challenging behavior, comorbid psychopathology, sleep problems, and sensory issues. The review found that GIS were common and that there was contradictory evidence concerning their relationship with co-occurring conditions. It also identified evidence of some causal relationships that support the existence of the gut-immune-brain pathways. Future research needs to use large prospective designs and objective and standardized GIS measurements to provide a nuanced understanding of GIS in the context of ASD.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorders; autism symptoms; challenging behavior; comorbidity; gastrointestinal symptoms; language and communication; psychopathology; regression; sensory issues; severity; sleep problems.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of paper selection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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