Blood and urine checks to indicate autism in children

Researchers from the University of Warwick have taken initial steps towards what they claim could become a new blood and urine test for autism.

Possibly leading to the earlier detection of the condition, the scientists tested children with and without the condition and found higher levels of protein damage in those with autism, a condition which affects behaviour and particularly social interaction but is very difficult to detect at an early age.

One in every 100 people in the UK has autism, with the number of diagnosed cases has increased during the past 20 years.

Published in the Molecular Autism journal, Dr Naila Rabbani said that the next step was to replicate the study's findings in other groups in the hope that the tests could also eventually reveal some of the factors that cause autism and improve its diagnosis.

Responding to the research, Max Davie of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “This is a promising area, however this is a very long way indeed from a 'test for autism'. In order to add to existing diagnostic practice, a test would have to either predict later Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) at an early age, or improve upon existing clinical methods of assessment.

“In terms of early identification. The analysis was derived from children whose ages averaged seven-eight, so there is no data to indicate that very young children will have the same metabolic pattern and that the results found would be reproducible in infants. In terms of supplementing and supplanting clinical assessment, it is not clear what this will add, given that the specificity and sensitivity are less than perfect - if a child clinically does not look autistic, then this test will not persuade anyone that they are, as things currently stand.

“While we applaud the arrival of this interesting area of research, it is important that it is not adopted with too much enthusiasm- if applied to a large population is will produce large numbers of 'false positives', causing huge worry and potential harm to children and families.”