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العنوان
The Role of Probiotics in improvement of
Gastrointestinal Symptoms among children
with AutismSpectrum Disorders /
المؤلف
El-Feki,Howaida Salem Amer.
هيئة الاعداد
باحث / Howaida Salem Amer El-Feki
مشرف / Sanaa Youssef Shaaban
مشرف / Nayra Shaker Mehanna
مشرف / YassminGamal El Gendi
تاريخ النشر
2016
عدد الصفحات
189p.:
اللغة
الإنجليزية
الدرجة
ماجستير
التخصص
طب الأطفال ، الفترة المحيطة بالولادة وصحة الطفل
تاريخ الإجازة
1/1/2016
مكان الإجازة
جامعة عين شمس - كلية الطب - طب الاطفال
الفهرس
Only 14 pages are availabe for public view

from 189

from 189

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders are diverse group of disorders caused
by a complex interplay between genetic and environmental
components. The alterations in the intestinal microbiota in the gut
might contribute to the disorder in a substantial number of
individuals.
This study was a case control one conducted on thirty autistic
children recruited from the autistic child clinic of the National
Research Centre and also twenty normal healthy children of
similar age and sex served as a control group. The aim of this
study was to evaluate the role of probiotics supplementation in
improving the gastrointestinal symptoms, the general and mental
health of the autistic children at the age of 5 to 9 years old.
In all patients, we recorded full history, sociodemographic data
and clinical examination including anthropometric measurements
(body weight, height and BMI) and their z-scores which were
calculated according to the recommendations of the World Health
Organization (WHO) child growth standards and they were
compared to their healthy controls before starting the study and
were reevaluated again for the autistic group after 3 months.
Then the proportions of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria strains
were assessed in the stool of all participants by using the real time
PCR and the differences in the fecal microbial composition
harbored by autistic and non-autistic children were demonstrated.
The autistic symptoms were assessed by the Autism Treatment
Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) including speech/
language/communication, sociability, sensory/cognitive
awareness as well as health/physical/behavior and also
gastrointestinal symptoms were assessed using a modified version
of the GI Severity Index) 6-GSI) score.
Then the autistic children were fed on a nutritional supplement
formula fortified with different probiotic strains (a mix of
Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria strains) for 3 months, and their
anthropometric measures and stool PCR were reassessed again
and compared to their baseline. Then data were collected and
statistically analysed.
The results of this study revealed that at the start of the study the
mean BMI and BMI z-score of the autistic children were
significantly higher than their control group and that 60% of the
total autistic children were classified as being overweight.
The initial stool PCR showed that the stool colony counts of
Bifidobacteria were significantly lower in the stool of autistic
children than that of their control group while no significant
differences were found between the levels of stool Lactobacilli
colony counts.
After probiotics supplementation for 3 months, we concluded that
the levels of Bifidobacteria strains were increased which were
associated with a significant decrease in the body weight of the
autistic children.
Also, we recorded improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms
(assessed by the 6-GSI scores) which were strongly correlated
with the improvements of the severity of autism (assessed by the
ATEC scores)..