Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the prevalence, types, and frequency of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms between children diagnosed with autism and those who are not.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was distributed across various regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including children of 2-18 years.
Results: A total of 358 responses including 174 (48.6%) about children diagnosed with autism and 184 (51.3%) about typically developing children. Overall, insignificant differences in GI manifestations were observed between children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing children. However, specific GI symptoms, such as constipation (39.7% in ASD vs. 24.5% in controls) and gastroesophageal reflux (9.2% in ASD vs. 2.2% in controls), were more prevalent among children with autism. Conversely, symptoms like abdominal pain (41.8% in controls vs. 18.4% in ASD) and vomiting (14.7% in controls vs. 5.7% in ASD) were more common in typically developing children.
Conclusions: This study indicated that children with autism in Saudi Arabia were more likely to experience specific GI symptoms compared to typically developing peers. Early screening could enhance treatment out-comes and improve quality of life.

Key words: Gastrointestinal manifestations, autism spectrum disorder, abdominal pain, cross-sectional, Saudi Arabia