The Connection Between Autism and GI Issues

Charting Pediatrics

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to have more medical complications than the average kid. Among the most common challenges are gastrointestinal (GI) disorders like abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. Untreated GI distress in kids with ASD has been linked to many other issues, including sleep, behavioral and psychiatric disorders. Many of these same kids also have selective eating, which impacts their intake of necessary nutrients. Due to these many layers of complexity, it can be challenging to know how to help a child with ASD and GI symptoms.

To understand this intricate issue, we are joined by Christine Waasdorp Hurtado, MD, who specializes in gastroenterology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She is the Southern Colorado Executive Faculty Director of the Department of Pediatrics, as well as a Professor of Pediatrics for the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Some highlights from this episode include:

• The most common GI issues in kids with ASD
• How primary care providers can best treat these kids
• How certain treatment outcomes can improve quality of life

For more information on Children’s Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org.