Children with autism spectrum disorder and alterations in eating behavior: could it be gastroesophageal reflux disease?

OBJECTIVE

Describe the occurrence of warning signs of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and esophagitis in children with eating behavior (EB) alterations associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

METHOD: Descriptive study of 115 children aged 3 to 12 years, followed at a tertiary hospital and previously diagnosed with ASD. The BRCA-TEA instrument was applied to identify children with EB alterations, and the 17-ATN-GISSI instrument was applied to identify those with warning signs of GERD. The selected children were invited for a medical consultation to identify those with suspected esophagitis and an indication for upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy with biopsies.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine children (60 %) were classified with alterations in the EB and, among these, 62 (89.8 %) presented warning signs of GERD. Eighteen children had suspected esophagitis and an indication for upper GI endoscopy. Among the 8 children who underwent the exam, 1 child had grade A erosive esophagitis, 1 child had grade B erosive esophagitis, and 1 child had eosinophilic esophagitis.

CONCLUSION

A high frequency of EB alterations was found in children with ASD. The high frequency of GERD warning signs may be related to EB alterations in this group. Cases of esophagitis highlight the possibility of an organic disease. In these cases, performing upper GI endoscopy with biopsies is essential for diagnosis.