Autism is not associated with an increased risk for gastrointestinal symptoms in general, a retrospective study showed.
However, children with autism were more likely to have constipation and feeding issues than healthy control subjects, Samar Ibrahim, MBChB, of the Mayo Clinic, and colleagues reported online in Pediatrics.
"As constipation and feeding issues/food selectivity often have a behavioral etiology, data suggest that a neurobehavioral rather than a primary organic gastrointestinal etiology may account for the higher incidence of these gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism," the researchers said.
There is a widespread belief among parents, with little evidence to support it, that some neurobehavioral features of autism might be caused by gastrointestinal dysfunction, the researchers said. As a result, many parents put their children on restrictive diets and supplements, the researchers said.