HL Deb 20 December 2004 vol 667 c130WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In view of the finding of the Lancet report in 1998 on the presence of inflammatory bowel disease amongst autistic children, whether they will offer such children specialist treatment by paediatric gastroenterologists. [HL362]

Lord Warner

We understand the report to be entitledIleal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children, (Lancet. 1998 Feb 28;351(9103):637–41) to which a retraction was published in the Lancet in March 2004.

Children with learning or motor disability have an increased incidence of gastroenterological problems. These include feeding difficulties, gastro-oesophageal reflux, and constipation. A child with gastroenterological symptoms suggesting inflammatory bowel disease should be referred to a paediatric gastroenterologist for specialist investigation. These considerations apply irrespective of any other medical conditions in the child, including learning disability, neurological disorders, or autistic spectrum disorders.