Bacteria could help autism

PROBIOTICS — supplements which promote the body’s so-called “friendly” bacteria — could be used to help children with autism, researchers have claimed.

A study carried out by the Food Microbiology Sciences Unit at the University of Reading looked at more than 200 autistic children in the US and Britain. They found children with autism had high levels of the harmful bacteria clostridia compared to their non-autistic brothers and sisters.

Researchers plan to start trials to assess the effect of probiotic bacteria this year.