Autistic Children Have Unique Gut Microbes: Study

Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have altered microbial populations in their digestive tracts, which could pave the way for new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities, according to a new study.

The peer-reviewed study, published in the Nature Microbiology journal on July 8, investigated the association between autism and gut microbiome—microbes in the human digestive tract.

Fecal samples were taken from 1,627 children from Hong Kong, some who had autism and others who didn’t. The children were aged 1 to 13 years, with nearly 25 percent females.

Researchers discovered that “14 archaea, 51 bacteria, 7 fungi, 18 viruses, 27 microbial genes, and 12 metabolic pathways were altered” in autistic children.

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