My grand child has a lot of problems with her bowels. She goes every 30 minutes just a small amount, but it's truly a bad situation. She's just been diagnosed with autism, the Dr. hasn't said anything about this being apart of her disorder. is there anyone who knows something about this problem & what Dr should we need to take her to see?

You should find a GI experienced with autism or a DAN doctor. Many doctors will tell you GI issues just go along with autism and to get used to them, or precribe Miralax to "move things". but you (and your granddaughter and her parents) shouldn't have to live with the GI issues and Miralax isn't good for kids, esp. kids with autism. an IgG allergy test may help point out things that are irritating her GI tract, and a GOOD doctor can help you figure out things to help FIX the problem, not just band-aid it.

My son to has autism and bowel problems. he didn't like going to have a bowel movement. yes there are problems with this in children with autism you can consult your dr and see what they want to do. we put our son on a limited dairy products diet and it has really helped him. we allow him some dairy but if he gets alot his bm are like water and his behavior is completely out of control. Therefore a change in diet may help or you may have to see a specialist to help with the situation.

Controlling their bowel movements is one thing that an autistic child can have control over.

Producing a specimen for mummy and daddy can be hell sometimes as the sensation of peristalsis (bowel moving faeces through the intestines) can be very strong for a young child. they are afraid to do a poo because of it.

I took a book out of the parents library near my place when my children were young called "Boss of the Bladder" , by Dr Janet Hall ( I think). yes I know we are talking bowels here but I think the same scenario can be used for this as well.

Get your child to tell your grandchild that she is 'boss of her bowels' and 'her brain has asked her bowels to get a load on out of there !'

Hi,

I have an autistic son who is 6 years old.

After studying about autism, I discovered information about "Leaking Gut Syndrome". You may be interested in 'googling' it.

In short, it's a condition where a person's system does not break down protein efficiently and it can permeate the gut wall into the blood stream and cause other difficulties. The proteins in question are 'gluten' (protein found in wheat) and 'casein' (protein found in dairy).

The condition has been strongly linked with autism, and many people with autistic children feel that a gluten free/dairy free diet helps. however, some others disagree.

My son is on gluten/dairy free because we feel he is less anxious, aggressive and his BM are much more normal.

I would be inclined to suggest seeing a Paediatrician, especially one who sees other autistic children, or a Paediatric Dietician.

Hope this helps some. Good luck

The best bet is to learn a little bit about the sensory issues of Autism and this may help explain some of the bowel and even other issues that deal with Autism. it is hard to say if they are tied into each other, but is good to know all of the facts that you can before going to a pediatrician or doctor so that you may be educated as well. Good Luck!

My son on a casein free diet (no dairy, no processed meats) through the suggestion of his doctor. It's helped his bowels and sensory integration disorder tremendously.

Try asking her Pediatrician about it first and then if perhaps a consultation with a GI (gastrointerologist) Dr may be needed.

John Arts Abundant Living johnarts.co.nz

These days it seems that everyone is intolerant to some type of food. Most commonly it is gluten in grains, lactose in dairy products, seafood and various nuts. while I have no doubt that in the past these intolerances were under-diagnosed, there has been a steady rise in people with a range of problems related to food allergies and intolerances. A food allergy involves an immune response against food compounds, while intolerance theoretically does not and is more of a digestive problem.

If you or your family have, or suspect any GI tract problems, I recommend that you first see your doctor who can arrange a whole range of tests and may refer you to a specialist for further diagnosis. For minor or low grade GI problems such testing is often inconclusive, but it is important to eliminate any serious problem. I have a granddaughter who often complained of sore tummies and a series of tests showed she was highly gluten intolerant. A change of diet and adding some supplements has resulted in a happy and contented child.

The big question is of course what causes these food allergies and intolerance problems like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)? the second question is of course what to do about it. This is one area where natural therapies excel, and creating a diet, nutrition and supplement programme can really help. while true food allergies cause a faulty immune system response even low grade food intolerances can cause inflammation in the GI tract. This can cause any number of symptoms from stomach pain, bloating, gas, and abnormal bowel habits. Most GI tract problems have an element of inflammation. This includes allergies, intolerances or serious autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis.

If the problem is more minor I like to try lowering GI tract inflammation before food elimination, as complete removal may increase the intolerance and create a worse situation. however if after a few months this approach fails then I would normally recommend a naturopath or nutritionist to create a full diet programme. however it is really surprising how many people can get a great response by adding a range of anti-inflammatory nutrients and co factors, that help to take the inflammation out of the GI tract, and help the immune system start to function properly.

John Arts is the founder of Abundant Health. For product information visit abundant.co.nz if you have questions or would like a free health plan you can contact John at or phone 07 578 9051 or 0800 423 559. You can join his newsletter at johnarts.co.nz