July 9, 2024
Usually it takes three to four years to make a confirmed diagnosis for suspected autism, with most children diagnosed at six years old. Our microbiome biomarker panel has a high performance in children under the age of four, which may help facilitate an early diagnosis.
Professor Qi Su at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who authored a recent study suggesting people with autism have different gut microbiomes, which can offer a path toward an earlier diagnosis.
Why It Matters: A study published Monday in Nature Microbiology builds off previous work and suggests studying a person’s gut microbiome could help identify autism earlier and more quickly. The study analyzed more than 1,600 stool samples from children ranging 1 to 13 years old, with researchers finding several distinct biological “markers,” such as unique traces of fungi, viruses and gut bacteria. These markers could be used as a diagnostic tool for doctors. As of now, an autism diagnosis largely relies on questionnaires and more subjective methods that can make early diagnosis, especially for children, difficult.
According to the CDC, autism affects 1 in 36 U.S. children and 1 in 45 U.S. adults. Autism (autism spectrum disorder) refers to a wide range of conditions in which people “may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people” (CDC).
Read More: Children With Autism Carry Unique Gut Flora, Study Finds (The New York Times)
Autism could be diagnosed with stool sample, scientists say (The Guardian)
by Emily Hooker, based in Texas
