The link between autism and the gut microbiota. Gut-brain axis.
What is observed through the prism of functional medicine is first of all a mother with dysbiosis who will bequeath a disturbed intestinal flora to the child and which will affect his immune system and his digestion. The poorly digested milk proteins will in turn affect the flora and the intestinal mucosa. When this mucosa is damaged, the toxins which pass from the intestine to the blood will end up anywhere in the body, and generally the first mucous membranes where they lodge are the ENT mucosa. Thus, the child develops bronchitis, ear infections, sinusitis etc. very early on... These are treated with antibiotics and sometimes steroids which again affect this intestinal flora. A vicious circle which constantly damages this flora which represents 80% of his immune system. Toxins circulate repeatedly, and which can not only be sheltered in the ENT sphere but also affect the brain. Adding that the abundance of vaccines on a disturbed immune system is problematic. In addition, the excipients of these vaccines include a layer of toxins on an already highly disturbed flora, which will eventually affect its brain, its cerebral and neuronal development.
Then comes weaning where we move from milk to solid foods. Knowing that the child already digested these milk proteins poorly, other proteins will aggravate the situation and cause more and more infections and drug treatments until a real intestinal dysbiosis develops. This results in colic, bloating, diarrhea, flatulence... The child is also very difficult to feed, and absorbs very poorly, he is deficient in many minerals and nutrients. He often has severe constipation with fecal occlusions even if he goes to the toilet (overspill syndrome, leakage by overflow). He then develops an excess of yeasts which ferment these poorly digested foods and which give toxins close to alcohol (acetaldehyde) which affect the child's behavior (posture, walking, speech...), he is under the influence of his own flora. There is also an overload of bacteria such as Clostridia, including "Clostridium difficile", which is a neurotoxic bacterium. It attacks the nervous system and the brain. This can manifest in children as hypersensitivity to light, noise, smells and taste. Other toxins that develop through yeasts are deltorphins and dermorphins, which are generally found on the skin of small Amazonian frogs and which have the particularity of paralyzing the nervous system. In the case of autistic children, these toxins manifest themselves as problems with motor and sight delays caused by muscular paralysis. Finally, caseomorphin, derived from poorly digested milk proteins, and gluteomorphins (derived from gluten proteins), are derivatives of morphine that make people dependent (therefore on milk, pasta, bread, etc.).
This whole combination clouds and poisons the child's brain. There is therefore work to be done on detoxification of heavy metals and on rebalancing the intestinal flora (bacteria, yeasts and the introduction of good bacteria).
Observational studies and hypotheses : Studies (Finegol, 2002, Parracho, 2005, Luna et al, 2017) have found: an increased presence of clostridium spp. in autistic children. A reduction in behavioral symptoms after interventions targeting the microbiota (e.g., fecal transplant, antibiotics, and sugar-free diet)
To learn more about this topic, you can get Natasha Campbell's book "The Enterophysiological Syndrome" Gaps: