Is There a Relationship Between Autism and Gastrointestinal Disease?

Is gastrointestinal disease more prevalent in children with autism? There are arguments favoring both sides of the controversy. We present data collected from the medical history of a recent Autistic Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) database of autistic children and their siblings, demonstrating that autistic children may be significantly more susceptible to overall GI disease, as well as chronic diarrhea and constipation specifically. Many autistic children have GI disease, however, whether this disease is significantly increased in children with autism is still being debated.