Children who suffer from gastrointestinal disorders could be at risk of mental health issues later on in life, according to a new study. Gastrointestinal symptoms have been found to have an impact on the brain and behaviour in children as they develop.
"One common reason children show up at doctors' offices is intestinal complaints," Nim Tottenham, a professor at Columbia University in the US, told a news portal. Adding, "Our findings indicate that gastrointestinal symptoms in young children could be a red flag to primary care physicians for future emotional health problems."
Researchers have believed for a long time that there is a link between the brain and the gut. Previous studies have found that almost half of adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a history of trauma. "The role of trauma in increasing vulnerability to both gastrointestinal and mental health symptoms is well established in adults but rarely studied in childhood," Bridget Callaghan, a post-doctoral research fellow at Columbia, told a news portal.
Studies on animals have found that adversity-induced changes in the gut microbiome, which is bacteria that help regulate functions like digestion and immune system,have an impact on how the brain develops. "Our study is among the first to link disruption of a child's gastrointestinal microbiome triggered by early-life adversity with brain activity in regions associated with emotional health," Callaghan told a news portal.
The team examined how children who experienced psychosocial deprivation, an extreme kind, before adoption. Parent-child separation is a powerful indication of mental problems in humans. A similar experience modelled in rats showed fear and anxiety impacted neurodevelopment and made changes to the microbial communities throughout one's lifespan.
For the study, researchers analysed data of 115 children adopted from orphanages or foster care before they turned tow-years-old. They also studied data of 229 children that were being raised by a biological caregiver. Children in foster care showed an increase in symptoms that included stomach aches, constipation, nausea and vomiting.
Children with a history of early caregiving disruptions were found to have different gut microbiomes from those children who were being raised by biological caregivers since birth. Brains scans showed that brain activity patterns correlated with certain bacteria in all the children. "It is too early to say anything conclusive, but our study indicates that adversity-associated changes in the gut microbiome are related to brain function, including differences in the regions of the brain associated with emotional processing," said Tottenham.
The study's findings were originally published in the journal Development and Psychopathology.
Previous research has also found a link between body mass index (BMI) and mental health issues. "Results so far highlight the pressing need to tackle the obesity crisis because higher BMI is causing the population to be less happy and less satisfied with their lives. This information could be immediately useful to clinicians encouraging patients to maintain a healthy weight," Dr Claire Haworth, the senior author of the study, told a news portal.