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Bar chart showing autism diagnosis increase in the U.S. from 1996 through 2005.CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bysa/3.0/)],
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News links:
- Can a gut bacteria imbalance really cause autism?
- New microbiome study of Autism gut
- Study finds no link between autism and gut microbes
- A microbial association with Autism (mBio 2012)
- The relationship between intestinal microbiota and the central nervous system in normal gastrointestinal function and disease (Gastroenterology 2009)
- Differences between the gut micrflora of children with autistic spectrum disorders and that of healthy children (Journal of Medical Microbiology 2005)
However, minor OCD with fans and holding/twiddling 2 of the same item remains.The transplant did seem to stabilize gut symptoms:
At the 3 1/2 week mark, still no bacteria flares or yeast flares, all with no antimicrobials and just 1 culturelle a day. Bowel movements are still really good with no diarrhea or blow outs. Appetite is nice too. Weight is steady with maybe a slow increase.I've previously written about the powerful affects that fecal transplants have on IBD, IBS, C. diff, Colitis and perhaps Multiple Sclerosis.
If anyone has any other information on how probiotics, prebiotics, or stool transplants work for Autism, do share them here to spread the word around.
As always, thanks for reading and sharing your opinions.
Seth
Fwiw, Eric Hollander http://www.einstein.yu.edu/faculty/11986/eric-hollander is starting dosing for a pig whipworm study on 18+ y.o.s with autism. My guess is that it will be most effective for individuals with gut issues. If pig whipworms prove beneficial, the study may support the use of FMT for children in the spectrum.
ReplyDeleteAmazing and very brave patients!
ReplyDeletehttp://autismweb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=30251
ReplyDeletehi there, i intend doing a FMT for my son in a weeks time, just checking if any further feedback was received from others? many thanks
ReplyDeleteBest of luck and please do keep us posted of its success so we can inform others. I have not seen any further scientific studies on autism and fecal transplants.
Deletethank you, will definitely do so, a bit tense and nervous as the parent, but i guess that comes with the territory, will certainly keep you posted once done.
ReplyDeleteGreat. Much appreciated. Ive seen no evidence of harm in fecal transplants, so not to worry. It should either help (perhaps in other areas, such as digestion, etc) or be neutral. Fingers crossed. You might consider dietary changes as well to maintain the microbial population you desire.
ReplyDeleteWe'er taking our son for FMT soon and he is 22 years old, with severe autism. He's had gut problems his whole life and has been on Vancomycin. It's helped reduce hyperactivity and slightly improved communication skills. He hasn't had a seizure since taking antibiotics- none in 13 weeks. Usually 1 per month. Seems promising, however we've been down this path before.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy for sharing your story and best wishes for a successful outcome. You and other parents are at the frontlines of this science and we welcome your feedback through and after the fecal transplant process. This is citizen science at its core. Keep us posted so we can keep others up to date.
DeleteI was wondering about FMT for regressive autism. At about 18 months of age my son was progressing normally in terms of development. Around that time he had a two week course of antibiotics. By two years of age we started to notice he had lost the language and social skills that he had developed. I am just wondering if antibiotics at a young age could cause a gut imbalance? Also, when we mentioned to our son's psychologist at an autism intervention centre that he often seems to have an imporovement after illness, she said, "lots of parents say that". I know it is only anecdotal but is it possible that during illness when the temperature is up or when antibiotics are taken there is a short residual effect of a 're-balancing' of the gut bacteria or a short lived reduction of the clostridium species? very interested to hear about the FMT results. Our son is 9 1/2 years of age.
DeleteThank you for this important question. The short answer is that antibiotics and illness are both associated with disruptions in the normal microbiome. Each one typically has a minor effect on changing the microbiome and repeated doses of antibiotics are associated with permanent changes in the microbiome and for some patients, it leads to IBD. It is conceivable that in your case, the microbiome may have shifted at a critical developmental window for your son. If you are curious about his microbiome, you can order a kit from uBiome or American Gut to have it measured. Then get back in touch with us here and we can discuss it in comparison to a healthy microbiome.
DeleteI have performed FBT on my 4 year old autistic son and sadly have seen zero change in him as though it had not being done!
ReplyDeleteHi, very sorry to hear that you had no improvement. If I may ask, is your son's autism regressive? Did he have a normal development up until about 18 months? I hope you can find some treatment that works. Best wishes to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to try a good Holistic Dr. It has been the only treatment my son has responded to well.
DeleteHi, just wondering how effective using fermented foods therapeutically would be? I have been studying books on the subject and writers have fascinating positive stories about healing their own gut symptoms, allergies, and mood issues, even kids behavior issues or spectrum-like behaviors with hard work incorporating fermented foods like kefir, kraut, and other cultured vegetables as well as sprouted grains. Not as easy as a transplant, but perhaps there needs to be more f/u and work after transplant to sustain the new microbiome?
ReplyDeleteNot much known in this realm, but definitely worth exploring! Seems like an emerging area…open access pub http://www.jphysiolanthropol.com/content/33/1/2
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteMy son is on the spectrum 40 months old. he was diagnosed at 18 months being on the spectrum. almost immediately he started therapy, speech therapist it twice a week, an occupational therapist twice a week, a developmental therapist once a week and a nutritionist once a week. He showed very little improvement in any area over the next 16 months. At 34 months for the first time in his life he actually got sick and was not able to eat for a few days. he was put on antibiotics and we supplemented his nutrition with chocolate pediasure and gelatin in his juice. In his entire life he never had even 1 solid stool until after this incident. He started feeling better and that evening at Christmas dinner the normally EXTREMELY finicky eater ate everything and anything we placed in front of him. We had chalked this up to that he hadn't eaten for a few days. At the same time we saw tremendous spikes in communication and his cognitive skills. In one week there was more improvement than the last 90 weeks. All these changes gradually went away within a few weeks. Back to liquid fecal matter, communication declined, cognitive abilities reverted back. So we reintroduced the pediasure and the gelatin back into his diet thinking they had something to do with the changes we had noticed. No changes at all for the next month. So at his 36 month check up we brought this up with his pediatrician. He mentioned the research about fmt and my wife and I kind of um let's say we're not to enthused. So I asked the doctor how about we try another round of antibiotics and then if we notice any difference then possibly we'd look into it further. Again shortly after starting the antibiotics we noticed a spike again, but this also coincides with the start of him going to an early intervention preschool. After a month or so his development had plateaued. Not sure what to think of any of this
Oh also between my wife and I we have 6 children and changed many of diapers and wet sheets But I have noticed his urine smells like metal. There is a real distinct difference in the odor.
DeleteInteresting experience and thank you for sharing it. Its really hard to nail down cause and effect with all the variables in daily lives, but it is intriguing that antibiotic treatments both associated with positive changes. Have you considered measuring his fecal microbiome with a kit form uBiome or American Gut? It does sounds like an interesting case where a fecal transplant is worth researching a bit more.
Deletemetals are from the vaccines ;)
ReplyDeleteReading with interest. My 4yo son has had chronically loose and frequently foul-smelling excrement his whole life. He does not seem to be ASD, although he did not look me in the face till nearly a year old. He has a number of sensory integration issues, and is sometimes hyperkinetic. We do not have a formal diagnosis yet, because we will have to pay out-of-pocket for one, and we are conserving our financial resources for when he enters school. Also, there are some conditions that doctors don't want to diagnose till children are older now. I'm suspecting that when and if he's evaluated, he'll be diagnosed as ODD or CD, possibly with ADHD. I have always wondered whether his digestive problems are somehow associated with his neurobehavioral issues. But he's a fraternal twin, and while I'm not sure I'm convinced the twin is fully neurotypical, he doesn't have the sensory issues or other neurological quirks his brother does.
ReplyDeletePlease try the GAPS diet.
Deleterawmilkmike
You have to get the glyphosate ( Roundup) out of the diet to normalize the gut bacteria. Glyphosate is a patented antibiotic and it destroys the good bacteria and encourages the pathogens. This means a total organic diet and avoiding places where it is sprayed as a weed killer. See the work of Dr. Nancy Swanson and Dr Stephanie Seneff of MIT. See also Moms Across America website and the Institute for Responsible Technology.
ReplyDeleteAnd YES, the GAPS diet.
By now, we all know that probiotics are good bacteria that live in the digestive tract. These good bacteria control the colonies of pathogens and harmful microorganisms that could cause GI issues and other health problems.
ReplyDeleteGiving probiotics to kids isn’t harmful. That’s the plain and simple answer. The bacteria are naturally found in the human gut. This applies both to kids and to adults.
While some strains of beneficial bacteria could be better for little ones than others, opting for a specialized probiotic formula is definitely safe.
Reside in Dallas Texas. Have a six year old Autistic grandson seeking a location where I could discuss and obtain, if appropriate, FMT?
ReplyDelete