A quarterly publication of the Autism Research Institute
Fall, 2024 | Number 4, Volume 38
Supplementation with the probiotic Bacteroides fragilis may be beneficial for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to a study by researchers in China.
The study, by Chu-hui Lin and colleagues, involved 60 children with ASD, all between two and 10 years of age. Children in the treatment group ate two daily food bars containing active b. fragilis, while a control group received a placebo. The intervention lasted for 16 weeks.
Prior to the intervention, at week eight, and at the end of the intervention, the researchers assessed the children using the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Normal Development of Social Skills from Infants to Junior High School Children (S-M), and Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS). They also analyzed the children’s fecal microbiome composition.
At the end of the intervention, the researchers found that compared to the placebo group, the b. fragilis group showed significant improvement in the ABC body and object use scores (which measure stereotypical behaviors), with children under the age of four benefiting the most. Among children with higher baseline CARS scores, the b. fragilis group showed significant improvements in ABC total score, ABC body and object use scores, CARS score, and GSRS score. In addition, the researchers say, children in the b. fragilis group “showed a significant post-intervention increase in abundance of bifidobacteria and change in the metabolic function of neuroactive compounds encoded by intestinal microorganisms.” Only two children in the active treatment group experienced mild diarrhea.
Noting that children under four years of age in the b. fragilis group showed greater improvement in all scale scores than children four or older, the researchers comment, “These results reaffirm the importance of early intervention in children with ASD and suggest that an age of under four years may be a window of effectiveness for probiotic intervention.”
They also note, “We observed a positive correlation between the ABC total score and the GSRS score as well as between each of the ABC subscale scores and the GSRS score, which is consistent with previous reports. This demonstrates that abnormal autistic behaviors are more pronounced with increasing severity of gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, reflux, and indigestion, and thus improving gastrointestinal symptoms can attenuate autistic symptoms.”
The researchers conclude that b. fragilis supplementation “significantly and safely improved abnormal behavior and gastrointestinal symptoms in children with ASD.” However, they note that larger, longer-term studies are needed to determine the long term safety and effectiveness of this intervention.
“Efficacy and safety of Bacteroides fragilis BF839 for pediatric autism spectrum disorder: a randomized clinical trial,” Chu-hui Lin, Ting Zeng, Cui-wei Lu, De-yang Li, Yi-ying Liu, Bing-mei Li, Sheng-qiang Chen, and Yu-hong Deng, Frontiers in Nutrition, September 3, 2024 (free online). Address: Yu-hongDeng,[email protected].
