Gut bacteria transplant “relieves gastrointestinal and autism symptoms”
A recent study out of China adds to the growing research interest in how fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) might be a useful intervention option for some people with autism. Looking at the behavioral and gastrointestinal (GI) effects of FMT (transplanting bacteria from a healthy individual) on a group of 40 children with autism, researchers observed significant improvements to both GI functions and recorded autistic behaviors of their cohort following intervention. Importantly too, side-effects following FMT were noted as being minimal. In the context of a now well established link between gut and brain in many conditions including autism, such results add to an increasing bank of studies showing that targeting the gut microbiome is a valid intervention option for autism.
Li N, Chen H, Cheng Y, Xu F, Ruan G, Ying S, Tang W, Chen L, Chen M, Lv L, Ping Y, Chen D, Wei Y. Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Relieves Gastrointestinal and Autism Symptoms by Improving the Gut Microbiota in an Open-Label Study. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021 Oct 19;11:759435. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.759435.
Confirmed: vitamin D levels are typically lower in autism
Researchers in Spain have confirmed that amongst the multitude of findings reporting on circulating nutrients in autism, levels of vitamin D (sometimes called the sunshine vitamin) are quite consistently lower in children with autism than age- matched peers. Drawing on the existing scientific literature examining a variety of nutrients, some 14 studies where vitamin D levels were measured were meta-analyzed, including over 2000 participants. The results were almost uniform in the trend towards lower vitamin D in children with autism; thus also confirming an independent analysis of vitamin D levels carried out by other researchers this year. Questions still remain about why vitamin D levels are lower in childhood autism and whether this may represent a modifiable risk factor for autism. Many governments are now issuing population guidance on vitamin D supplementation during certain times of the year.
Gallardo-Carrasco MC, Jiménez-Barbero JA, Bravo-Pastor MDM, Martin-Castillo D, Sánchez-Muñoz M. Serum Vitamin D, Folate and Fatty Acid Levels in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-05335-8.
An autism prevalence rate of 7% in some regions of New Jersey
A long-awaited study examining the rate of childhood autism in New Jersey (NJ) has been published detailing the estimated prevalence of autism in children across New Jersey to be 3.6%. Researchers from Rutgers University continued their interest in the autism prevalence rate in NJ using an active case finding method among those children born in 2008 who were 8 year old in 2016. Alongside the general 3.6% estimate, researchers noted that in some school districts such as Toms River, the rates doubled to over 7%. Among boys, a rate of 12% was observed in that district. Researchers remain open-minded about the increased prevalence rate they discovered. Better awareness of autism and improved screening may partly contribute to the increase but other factors such as the environment continue to gain prominence. Other areas around the globe who have specific ways of monitoring and counting cases of autism have highlighted similar increases.
Shenouda J, Barrett E, Davidow AL, Halperin W, Silenzio VMB, Zahorodny W. Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in a large, diverse metropolitan area: Variation by sociodemographic factors. Autism Res. 2021 Oct 21. doi: 10.1002/aur.2628.
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