A Meta-analysis of Gut Microbiota in Children with Autism

Previous studies have reported dysbiosis in the gut microbiota (GM) of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which may be a determining factor on child development through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. However, it is not clear if there is a specific group of dysbiotic bacteria in ASD. The aim of this study was to carry out a meta-analysis on the studies that analyze GM in children with ASD. 18 studies fulfilled our selection criteria. Our results showed a lower relative abundance of Streptococcus (SMD₊ = − 0.999; 95% CI − 1.549, − 0.449) and Bifidobacterium genera (SMD₊ = − 0.513; 95% CI − 0.953, − 0.073) in children with ASD. Overall, the Bifidobacterium genera is involved. However, differences found between studies are attributed to factors such as reporting bias.