Purpose: This research aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in treating children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Methods: In this single-arm prospective study, every participant received FMT therapy, followed by an 8-week follow-up. Children unable to swallow lyophilized capsules (Caps) received fecal solution through transendoscopic enteral tube (TET) or nasal jejunal tube (NJT) approaches. All participants underwent assessments of ASD core symptoms, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and sleep status initially, after treatment and during follow-up. The study outcomes included the changes in scores of the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale (GSRS) and Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC), as well as the adverse events (AEs).
Results: 98 participants were involved, consisting of 80 males and 18 females, with a median age of 7 years. 73 children received the FMT in the form of Caps, while 13 patients underwent the procedure through TET and 12 patients via NJT. Improvements were observed in all outcome measures for Caps and NJT groups at both the post-treatment and 8-week follow-up evaluations. Adjusted between-group analyses at post-treatment and follow-up showed that Caps and NJT group had greater reduction in ABC, CARS and SRS scores compared with TET group, while NJT group had greater reduction in SDSC scores compared with Caps and TET group. The incidence of AEs was 8.2% in the Caps group, 23.1% in the TET group, and 8.3% in the NJT group, with no serious AEs reported.
Conclusion: FMT treatment can improve the core symptoms, GI symptoms and sleep disturbances in children with ASD. The upper GI tract routes, including Caps and NJT, may be more effective and safe compared to the lower GI tract route of TET.
