An Alternative Perspective: How Would a Parent Know If Their Child Is Suffering from Gut Damage?
Question:Would the problems present, in part, as GI issues (constipation, diarrhea, etc.)? if an autistic child does NOT have obvious GI issues, can a gut/brain problem be ruled out?
Answer:
Some children who develop autism clearly have GI symptoms that precede the onset of their neurological regression. Others have these symptoms developing simultaneously. If an autistic child does not have obvious GI issues, gastrointestinal disease cannot conclusively be ruled out. For example, because of communication and pain response issues, the GI symptoms of many autistic children may have been overlooked. Many children don't present obvious symptoms until they're older. However, there does appear to be a subgroup of autistic children who do not have GI symptoms even after an appropriate history has been taken and an exam has been done.
Question: Is there any truth to the notion that gluten and cassein sensitivities would somehow be related to this issue?
Answer:
Because of abnormal absorption in an inflamed gut and weakened digestive enzyme function in autistic children, many food proteins are able to leak into the blood stream before they are fully digested. The immune system responds with antibody formation against these proteins which can further contribute to inflammation. Some of the proteins also can act as false neurotransmitters and affect brain function. Gluten and casein proteins are two examples. When removing these proteins from the diet of autistic children, it can help both in GI response and in neurological functioning.
Question: Is there any truth to the notion that an autistic child who, for example, loves dairy products, is actually experiencing an "opiode" effect from those foods (ie., that the child is getting stoned on yogurt)?
Answer:
The gluten and casein protein (called a peptide) has a structure that allows it to fit in the opiate receptors in our brain. That is why they are called opioid peptides. If this receptor is full, it creates a chemical signal similar to other opiates like heroin or morphine. These are addictive substances and disrupt normal brain chemistry. This very frequently leads autistic children to limit their diets to gluten and casein containing foods.
Question:
How would a parent know whether his/her child is suffering fromba gut problem?
Answer:
Ideally a child should have one soft, formed stool per day-- anything other than that merits consideration. Symptoms to look out for: constipation, diarrhea (often described as mushy or grainy, not necessarily watery), abdominal pain, abnormal posturing, abdominal distention, malodorous stool, undigested food in stool, and failure to grow. Many adverse behavior symptoms common in autism go away or improve when gut symptoms are treated. These include self injurious behavior, unexplained tantrums, aggressive behavior, abnormal sleeping patterns, and unusual body postures (i.e. draping themselves over an object in order to apply pressure to the lower abdomen). These are likely behaviors that are a response to pain.
