A recently published study by Mayo Clinic researchers comparing the medical records of 100+ children with autism against those of their peers showed that gastrointestinal problems are no more frequent in children with autism than in those without. Gluten-free, casein-free, or other strict diets, contrary to popular belief, might not be recommended for children with autism.
An article in the New York Times outlines the specifics of the findings, which imply that the only significant difference between the physical health of children with ASDs and their peers is "pickiness" in food choices. Reports of constipation and other digestive troubles probably arise from imbalanced nutrition stemming from selective eating, which sometimes causes the children to fall short on water and fiber requirements.
The authors of the study recommend against putting children on special diets unless they have been officially diagnosed with celiac disease or lactose intolerance--otherwise, restrictive eating patterns may result in malnutrition.
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