Autism medical comorbidities

Table 1 Autism comorbidities

Related disorders
Anxiety disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorders
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders
Mood disorders
Sleep disorders: Difficulty falling asleep, inability to sleep in a flat position, nighttime reawakenings, sleepwalking
Epilepsy
Systemic medical disorders
Accidents
Injuries, drowning, suffocation, etc.
Genetic disorders
Fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, neurofibromatosis type I, and tuberous sclerosis complex
Metabolic disorders
Mitochondrial disorders, disorders of creatine metabolism, selected amino acid disorders, disorders of folate or vitamin B12 metabolism, and selected lysosomal storage disorders
Endocrine disorders
e.g., hypothyroidism
Neurological disorders
Congenital abnormalities of the nervous system, epilepsy, macrocephaly, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, migraine/headaches, paralytic muscular disorders like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, increase in sympathetic and a decrease in parasympathetic activity, and dysautonomia
Immune dysfunction
Neuroinflammation, immune deficiency and dysfunction
GI disorders
Chronic constipation, chronic diarrhea, eosinophilic esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux and/or disease, nausea and/or vomiting, chronic flatulence, abdominal discomfort, ulcers, colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, food intolerance, and/or failure to thrive
Feeding disorders
Selective eating, difficulty swallowing, abnormal behaviors during meals such as ritualistic behaviour, throwing tantrums or gagging and vomiting
Allergic disorders
Asthma, nasal allergies, atopic diseases (immunoglobulin E-mediated), food allergies and intolerances
Toileting problems
Difficulties in learning how to use the toilet during the day and at night, knowing when they need to use the toilet, communicating the need to use the toilet, being able to get to the toilet independently or in time, learning to use different toilets with which they are unfamiliar, wiping themselves, sensory differences (dislike of the noise made by toilets, the sensation of passing urine/faeces, a cold toilet seat, or a preoccupation with water in the toilet), smearing faeces, a range of continence-specific difficulties, including bowel or bladder difficulties such as bedwetting and constipation