Probiotics

This recent article reporting the effects of probiotics on mice couldn't be a more fitting reference for my next post.  This research study involved treating mice specifically bred to display autism-like behaviors with a probiotic therapy. The results showed that the mice became "more communicative, less anxious and less likely to engage in repetitive digging behavior" after treatment.  My husband reminded me of a similar study on mice reported on TV years ago in which the probiotics actually improved the memories of the mice.   

Recently I read articles on the internet regarding a breakthrough report on autism and infant eye gaze.  For those of you who did not read this article, the breakthrough refers to differences in eye-gaze patterns in infants between 2 and 6 months and how those that eventually developed ASD showed steady decline in eye-to-contact with their caregivers.  This immediately reminded me of an article/post I found over a year ago online in which a grandmother, who was also a physician, cured her grandson from possible ASD during infancy with baby probiotics.  Her grandson was born with pneumonia as a result of prematurely inhaling fluids during childbirth.  He was treated with antibiotics at the hospital. Almost immediately the grandmother noticed that the infant was not making eye contact with anyone.  She purchased baby antibiotics and advised the child’s parents to give it to him with his formula.  The results were undeniable.  Within days the baby began to make eye contact, started smiling, and became more aware of his surroundings. She made reference to how the probiotics likely prevented the baby from developing ASD.

I found the post referenced above when I was researching associations between antibiotics and autism as a result of my own experiences.  As most parents of children with autism, I was researching the internet in search of an answer to my question of what had caused my son's autism.  Around the same time that I conceived Reagan I underwent dental surgery and took very strong antibiotics, Doxycycline, whose label clearly warns women from taking it during pregnancy or if they are planning to become pregnant.  The problem was that the oral surgeon that treated me gave out these prescriptions weeks, sometimes months, in advance of the scheduled surgery, with directions to take one (or two – can’t recall) prior to surgery.  My husband caught this but only after I had already taken my dose, ordered me to call the dentist and advise them that I might be pregnant and needed a new prescription for a different kind of antibiotic. 

Later on during my pregnancy, my first and only urine infection ever, caused me to be prescribed antibiotics.  My OBGYN gave me a prescription which I filled immediately. I began taking it as prescribed for a day until my doctor called to order me to cease taking those antibiotics as she was going to prescribe me a different kind. Just my luck! Two botched prescribed antibiotic treatments during the pregnancy.  But at the time I had no idea that antibiotics could be neutralized with probiotics – or the unthinkable – that it could cause autism in my child.  It is seemingly common sense. The antibiotics kills the bacteria in your body, including the good, healthy gut bacteria we need.  The probiotics puts the healthy bacteria back in your body. 

My son’s autism signs became apparent only after an ear infection at about 9 months of age was treated with antibiotics.  I didn’t know that I should give him plenty of yogurt or baby probiotics.  The awareness of the many benefits of probiotics is so much greater today as is evident in the many products that now carry probiotics, e.g. milk, baby formula, vitamins, etc.

With my daughter, I did things right from the start, despite the fact that I had a high-risk pregnancy.  My age alone (35) placed me in a high-risk bracket.  But never could I have imagined that my baby girl would not meet her growth milestones in utero.  She had IUGR (Intra Uterine Growth Restriction).  At birth, after just 34 months, she weighed 3.5 pounds. But thankfully, she was perfectly healthy.  Early on I was told to restrict my physical activity and eat a high protein diet.  Ironically, that was when my co-worker and friend introduced me to Greek yogurt.  I ate Greek yogurt with every meal.  And of course, yogurt is rich in live probiotic cultures.  Problems with her digestion led to the doctor's recommendation for a new formula, Good Start Soothe.  To my surprise, this baby formula also contained probiotics.  At 18 months, when the doctor recommended 2 percent milk, I began feeding her McArthur Dairy A-Plus milk with probiotics.  For my autistic son, Reagan, who is a very picky eater, I add Culturelle probiotic power packets in his juices.  

A healthy diet rich in probiotics is simply smart living, for everyone, especially children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.