Bacteria

Introduction

There is nothing more heart wrenching than watching your child suffer from various gastrointestinal disturbances such as stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, poor digestion, poor absorption, bloating and so on with no way to appropriately communicate how they feel. Children with autism are caught in this world of silence with no way to express pain except through behaviors. For many parents the escalation of self-injurious, aggressive and irritable behaviors has been unexplainable. In addition, many parents have children with severe feeding and eating issues, dietary restrictions, and food selectivity which is also very difficult to manage on a daily basis. Recently, scientists and researchers have recognized the role of bacteria overgrowth in the GI tract and how this negatively affects behaviors and cognitive functioning. No research has been more formidable in autism than the Gut-Brain Connection. What doctors believe is that the bacteria in the GI tract are affecting your child's brain. See Leaky Gut. Many children with autism also have Lyme disease due to the bacteria Borrelia Burgdorferi and PANDAS is associated with Streptococcal bacteria while PANS is associated with many other types of bacteria. For further information, see Lyme disease and PANS/PANDAS.

Related Sites

Autism Speaks
Description: Autism’s gut-brain connection.

Doctor Natasha
Description: Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, focuses on the Gut/Brain connection and how to help your child.

Books

Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD by William Shaw PhD
Description: Dr. Shaw goes into great depth to discuss antibiotic resistant bacteria, infections and the relationship to autism. He also has found that bacteria can cause ear infections and other reoccurring infections and how to stop the ongoing cycles.

Brain Maker by Neurologist David Perlmutter, MD
Description: The Brain Maker is an exceptional testimony to Dr. David Perlmutter’s amazing work with patients who have neurological disorders. The gut/brain connection is the only way to truly heal the brain by treating the state of the microbiome in the gastrointestinal tract. Autism, ADHD, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s are just some of the neurodegenerative disorders Dr. Permultter treats.

Tools

GAPS Nutritional Program: How a Physician Cure’s Her Son’s Autism
Description: Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride talks about your gut being the front line of your immune system, home to countless bacteria, both good and bad. These bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by at least 10 to one, so maintaining the ideal balance of good and bad bacteria forms the foundation for good gut brain connection.

Autism: The Fundamental Role of Gut Bacteria
Description: In this video interview with Dr. Derrick MacFabe and Dr. Perlmutter, they discuss the fascinating new research that connects changes in gut bacteria to autism spectrum disorder.

Parent Forums/Blogs

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Consumer Corner

The AEX Directory
Description: We do not provide medical advice on this site. Please consult your practitioner to discuss treatments for medical conditions. We do have a Directory feature that includes Practitioner Lists as well as Supplement Suppliers, Lab Test Companies, Compounding Pharmacies, and Prescription Drug Lookup. This feature can be accessed by clicking the link above or clicking The AEX Directory icon from our home page or any of the Navigation bar pages.

Community Library

Bacterial Infection and Autism
Description: Laboratory observations reinforce the idea that systemic bacterial infections play a role in the genesis of symptoms of autism.

Autism, the Importance of the Gut
Description: The story of a young boy with autism in NYC and his journey with GI problems.

(coming soon)