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Microorganisms, Vol. 11, Pages 806: Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplant on Behavioral and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Pediatric Autism: A Systematic Review
Microorganisms doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11030806
Authors: Zahra Dossaji Adam Khattak Kyaw Min Tun Mark Hsu Kavita Batra Annie S. Hong
Background and Aims: There is a high prevalence of gastrointestinal-related (GI) symptoms among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is associated with the severity of behavioral symptoms. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a proposed therapeutic strategy that aims to address the dysregulation of the gut microbiome among children with ASD. Our study performed the first systematic review aimed to evaluate the benefits of FMT on the behavioral and gastrointestinal symptoms of pediatric patients with autism. Methods: A literature search was performed using variations of the keywords “pediatrics” and “fecal microbiota transplantation” in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Web of Science from inception to 30 June 2022. Four studies that met the eligibility criteria were included in the systematic review. The efficacy of FMT on behavioral symptoms was measured by the difference in Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Child Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores before and after FMT. Results: We found a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.05) in ABC and CARS scores following FMT, with a statistically significant decrease in scores observed across all studies. In addition, substantial improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms were observed across all studies. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that FMT may offer a promising intervention for treating both behavioral and gastrointestinal symptoms in pediatric patients with autism.
