Gastrointestinal Symptoms in a Sample of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 39; no. 3; pp. 405 - 413
• Main Authors: Nikolov, Roumen N., Bearss, Karen E., Lettinga, Jelle, Erickson, Craig, Rodowski, Maria, Aman, Michael G., McCracken, James T., McDougle, Christopher J., Tierney, Elaine, Vitiello, Benedetto, Arnold, L. Eugene, Shah, Bhavik, Posey, David J., Ritz, Louise, Scahill, Lawrence
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.03.2009; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Anatomy; Anxiety; Anxiety - psychology; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic Disorder - diagnosis; Autistic Disorder - physiopathology; Autistic Disorder - psychology; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child and School Psychology; Child clinical studies; Child Health; Child, Preschool; Children; Comparative Analysis; Constipation - physiopathology; Delayed Speech; Developmental Delays; Developmental disorders; Developmentally disabled children; Diachronic Linguistics; Diarrhea - physiopathology; Etiology; Female; Gastrointestinal disorders; Humans; Infantile autism; Irritability; Male; Medical sciences; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Pediatrics; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public Health; Regression (Statistics); Severity (of Disability); Severity of Illness Index; Social Behavior Disorders - psychology; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Withdrawal (Psychology); Withdrawal behaviour; Young Children; Autism; Chronic gastrointestinal problems; Pervasive developmental disorders; Human; Preschool age; Developmental disorder; Symptomatology; Chronic; Pervasive developmental disorder; School age; Adolescent; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Severity score; Child
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-008-0637-8

Objective To evaluate gastrointestinal (GI) problems in a large, well-characterized sample of children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). Methods One hundred seventy two children entering one of two trials conducted by the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Autism Network were assessed comprehensively prior to starting treatment and classified with regard to GI symptoms. Results Thirty nine (22.7%) were positive for GI problems, primarily constipation and diarrhea. Those with GI problems were no different from subjects without GI problems in demographic characteristics, measures of adaptive functioning, or autism symptom severity. Compared to children without GI problems, those with GI problems showed greater symptom severity on measures of irritability, anxiety, and social withdrawal. Those with GI problems were also less likely to respond to treatment.