Antibiotics May Imrpove The Symptoms Of Autism

Could antibiotics improve the symptoms of autism? For the son of John Rodakis, it seemed to be the case.

Rodakis noticed that his son's autism symptoms surprisingly improved after he was treated with a round of antibiotics for strep throat.

"[He] began making eye contact, which he had previously avoided; his speech, which was severely delayed, began to improve markedly; he became less 'rigid' in his insistence for sameness and routine; and he also displayed an uncharacteristic level of energy, which he had historically lacked," said Rodakis, via Medical News Today.

With a background in molecular biology, this prompted a further exploration into his child's condition and possible connections.

He came across a study from 1999 at Chicago Rush Children's Hospital that documented the phenomenon in other children, where parent's like Rodakis had also noticed an improvement in their child when treated with a dose of antibiotics. What was similarly shocking was that this information had barely been examined.

"I was determined to understand what was happening in the hope of helping both my son and millions of other children with autism," Rodakis added.

With the help of Richard Frye, who's head of the Autism Research Program at Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, they held a scientific conference on the topic in the hopes of conducting a research trial on the connection between autism and the microbiome.

"Careful parental observations can be crucial. In science we take these observations, put them through the scientific method, and see what we find. This is what can lead to ground breaking scientific discoveries and breakthroughs in the field," Frye said, backing up the study from 1999.

Could there be less of a "gut-brain" connection in children with autism. Recent research from Arizona State University has even shown that children with autism exhibit less bacterial diversity in their gut than those without the condition.

"Current research is demonstrating that gut bacteria play previously undiscovered roles in health and disease throughout medicine," Rodakis concluded. "The evidence is very strong that they also play a role in autism. It's my hope that by studying these antibiotic-responding children, we can learn more about the core biology of autism."

For more great nature science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).