Study Bolsters Research Suggesting Gut Microbiome Could Be Path To More Objective Autism Diagnoses

The New York Times (7/8, Rosenbluth) reports a new study “bolsters a growing body of research that suggests an unlikely path to more objective autism diagnoses: the gut microbiome.” After analyzing over “1,600 stool samples from children ages 1 to 13, researchers found several distinct biological ‘markers’ in the samples of” children with autism. According to the Times, “unique traces of gut bacteria, fungi, viruses and more could one day be the basis of a diagnostic tool, said Qi Su, a researcher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a lead author of the study.” The findings were published in Nature Microbiology.