Autistic Children Have Unique Gut Microbes: Study

Digestive tract analysis could be used as a non-invasive tool to determine autism among children, researchers said.

Students attend a class at a middle school. Philippe Lopez/AFP file photo via Getty Images

Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have altered microbial populations in their digestive tracts, which could pave the way for new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities, according to a new study.

The peer-reviewed study, published in the Nature Microbiology journal on July 8, investigated the association between autism and gut microbiome—microbes in the human digestive tract.