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by
Konstantin
Monastyrsky
According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, “560,000 individuals between the ages of 0 to 21 have an
ASD [autism spectrum disorders]”, and “between 1994 and 2004, the number of 6
to 17-year-old children classified as having an ASD in public special
education programs increased from 22,664 to 193,637.”
That‘s an
850% increase in autism
incidence in just 10 short years, while autism epidemic on this
dramatic scale wasn‘t even on the
radar just a generation ago. And here is, in part, why:
What Is The Connection Between Infant Constipation,
Diarrhea, and Autism?
Problems watching? View on
YouTube.
Transcript:
Greetings, My name is Konstantin Monastyrsky. I am an
expert in forensic nutrition and the author of Gut Sense: How To
Reverse and Prevent Constipation and Irregularity in Children and
Adults. People often ask me this question: — Mr. Monastyrsky,
what is the connection between infant constipation, diarrhea, and autism?
Quite direct, if you ask me… It usually starts
[in otherwise healthy children — KM] from a simple bout with diarrhea, so common among infants and toddlers.
After diarrhea strikes, pediatricians incorrectly recommend giving them
solid food, as in this telling example from the website of a major
university children‘s hospital [link]:
As luck has it, most children instinctively refuse food
during the acute stages of diarrhea. However, if you force them to eat
what‘s recommended by their doctors, the diarrhea usually gets much
worse, and not just diarrhea.
That is because applesauce and bananas are both
laxogenic foods. Their laxative effect comes from pectin and sorbitol —
two nutrients well known for their prominent diarrheal effect.
Also, since all wheat products — cereals, bread,
crackers, noodles — contain indigestible fiber, its fermentation inside
the large intestine causes gas, bloating, and abdominal cramps. All
along, the situation is made even worse by gluten — a hyper-allergenic
wheat protein — because gluten commonly causes acute intestinal
inflammation.
When all that becomes unbearable and life-threatening,
doctors prescribe antibiotics to wipe out intestinal bacteria and
stabilize the child. This tactic stops diarrhea and inflammation for a
while, but causes constipation, because there are no innate bacteria
left to form normal stools.
At this point, pediatricians routinely recommend adding
fiber to “fix” constipation, as in this telling example from the Mayo
Clinic web site [link]:
This novel treatment has been applied with vengeance
over the last 20 or so years only in the United States. In the rest of
the developed world dietary fiber always was and still is a big no-no in
pediatric nutrition.
Since tiny infants and toddlers can‘t process gluten
and dietary fiber as efficiently as full grown adults, they soon run
into profuse diarrhea again, and this vicious cycle starts anew, causing
even more severe intestinal inflammation, requiring even more
antibiotics, and, consequently even more fiber to relieve
constipation.
All along, because of the severe intestinal
inflammation, the child can‘t resume a normal diet, and quickly becomes
malnourished, making the treatment, feeding, and recovery even more
challenging.
Because infants and toddlers have a very limited
storage of essential nutrients inside their tiny bodies, malnutrition
may happen literally in days, not weeks or months like with adults. The
ensuing deficiency in folate, iron, essential fatty acids, and primary
proteins quickly results in some or all symptoms of the autism spectrum
disorders.
To learn more about the connection between the
treatment of bowel disorders and autism, and what you can do to prevent
this from happening to your child, please visit this page.
Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. You are not an expert in autism or pediatrics, but you are
hurling out serious accusations at respected people
in these fields. Do you have
any proof of what you are saying?
My report is entitled “What Is The Connection
Between Infant Constipation, Diarrhea, and Autism,” and has nothing
to do with the treatment of autism, or with medical professionals
involved in this field. If that's your perception of my report, read the transcript
again.
I am an expert in
forensic nutrition, and my report is a classical forensic analysis —
relating to the investigation and establishment of evidence — of
the etiology of postnatal (non-genetic, acquired) autism. I only discuss the
chain of unfortunate clinical events that precede autism in the otherwise healthy infant.
This chain of events can be presented as the following diagram:
My report stops at the severe malnutrition
stage. What happens after that stage is completely outside
of my area of expertise (or, for that reason, of anyone involved into
this field because past this stage most of the neurological damages are
irreversible), and the core and essence of my report and
message is this: if you don't want your otherwise
healthy baby to suffer neurological damage from malnutrition caused by
the incorrect treatment of constipation or diarrhea, don't allow this barbaric treatment to
harm your child.
Anyone interpreting my report otherwise — as something
having to do with autism therapy, or autism treatment, or autism
genetics, or autism awareness, or what-have-you, is, apparently, in
denial, or has an agenda other than the safety and welfare of your
child.
And, now, here is your proof from the authors of The
Merck Manual Of Diagnosis and Therapy. This is hardly a medical
textbook written by
my “admirers” or “supporters,” but the most dominant and archconservative medical textbook in the
Western world and a “standard of care” reference for all American
physicians. If that “proof” isn't good enough for you, take your
challenge to Merck, not me:
"Etiology [of
diarrhea]: Causes include gluten-induced enteropathy, cystic
fibrosis, sugar malabsorption, and allergic gastroenteropathy." [link]
With the exception of cystic fibrosis, this quote
mirrors my report word-by-word: gluten-induced enteropathy from
wheat products (i.e. crackers, grains, bread, cereals); sugar malabsorption
from sorbitol and pectin in applesauce and bananas;
and
allergic gastroenteropathy from all of the above.
And Merck echoes what I have been
saying about infant malnutrition in general:
"Infants and children are particularly susceptible to
undernutrition because of their high demand for energy and essential
nutrients.” [link]
This brief essay —
All That Goodness Gone To The
Rats — contains additional insights into adult and pediatric
malnutrition related to “healthy diet” doctrine.
So none of this is new, news, or revolutionary. These
are all well-established medical facts, well past any debate or disagreement,
unless out of spite.
And all I am doing here and elsewhere — is connecting the dots. That's
what the forensic nutrition is all about.
And if you still believe into the “vaccine theory” of
autism, it was a lie all along: “For a decade, many parents have
worried that vaccines might somehow be causing autism in children.
Repeated assurances from respected experts that there is no link have
failed to quiet those fears. Now
The Lancet, a prestigious British medical journal that published the
paper that first gave wide credence to those fears, has retracted it,
saying that the paper‘s authors had made false claims about how the
study was conducted. The journal acted after a British medical
panel had found the lead author, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, guilty of
dishonesty and flouting medical ethics.” (A Welcome Retraction; The
New York Times; Feb 5, 2009 [link]).
Q. My doctor reviewed your report, and he told me that you are a
lunatic...
That's a compliment. In their days Dr. Semmelweis, and Dr. Marshall were also called
lunatics, so I am honored to be in their distinguished company!
 A
Hungarian physician
Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (1818 – 1865) was stripped of his medical license and
confined to a psychiatric asylum in Vienna because he was urging
European obstetricians to wash their hands in chlorine solution before
prenatal examination and delivery in order to dramatically reduce (5 to
10 times)
mortality among young mothers and their newborns.
Just 14 days after his confinement to the asylum, Dr.
Semmelweis was found dead, apparently after being severely beaten by his
guards. The poor doctor was only 47 years old and just as sane as you
and I…
Dr. Barry
Marshall (born 1951), our contemporary, had received along with Dr. Warren the
2005 Nobel Prize in medicine “for their discovery of the bacterium
Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.”
 Dr. Marshall's
work was ignored and denigrated for years because it was cutting into
the enormous profits of big Pharma, surgeons, and hospitals treating
peptic ulcer-related complications. Back in the eighties and nineties,
Tagamet became the first drug ever to reach more than $1 billion in
annual sales. Along with its analogues — Zantac and Pepcid
— these potent antacids became the highest selling drugs in the world.
Meanwhile, millions of people have been dying
from bleeding ulcers and gastric cancers, even though a single course of
antibiotics — not surgery or life-long prescription antacids — was all that was needed to wipe out
this ulcer-causing
infection once and for all.
To prove his point, Professor Marshall infected himself
with H.pylori bacteria in 1984, and treated the subsequent gastric inflammation
with a single course of antibiotic. It took another decade of ensuing
publicity to stop the slaughter and get his views accepted by the
mainstream medical establishment.
Since I am 55 — too old to become autistic to prove the
point — I am resorting to the well-established medical facts, and letting
you draw your own conclusions. That said, I don't believe for a second that any sane
medical doctor in the United States would say anything like that after
reviewing this page, and related links. Nonetheless, if that was your
perception of what you think your doctor had meant, or, indeed, said,
challenge him
or her with the following simple questions:
— Doctor, it is against the law to recommend
bulk-forming indigestible fiber for constipation. Mr. Monastyrsky didn‘t
make that law — the U.S. Federal Drug Administration did. Why, then, are
you recommending fiber to my child?
— Doctor, pectin in applesauce and sorbitol in
bananas are both potent laxative agents, and are both counter-indicated
for acute diarrhea because they cause “sugar malabsorption.” Why, then,
are you recommending bananas and applesauce to my child?
— Doctor, gluten in wheat cereals, bread, crackers,
and noodles is a major digestive allergen, responsible for “gluten
enteropathy” — a precursor to celiac disease, Crohn‘s disease, and ulcerative colitis. It is
very harmful for a child with an already aggravated gut, and is a major
source of food allergies among all children. Why, then, are you
recommending gluten-containing products to my child?
— Doctor, dietary fiber incites intestinal
fermentation, and causes gas, bloating and severe abdominal cramps in
children and adults alike. Why would you recommend giving fiber to a
super-sensitive infant or toddler who is already under tremendous duress
from dehydration and diarrhea?
— Doctor, according to the pediatric section of The
Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, the “standard of care” for
children with severe diarrhea is “...requires [parenteral - Ed.]
fluid and electrolyte replacement to correct dehydration, electrolyte
imbalance, and acidosis. [link]” Your recommendations to give my child solid food and fiber while she is affected by
severe diarrhea, are the complete opposite. Why?
And if all of these arguments fail, then simply take you
child to another doctor. If you also wish to save other children from this
naked negligence and malpractice, file your complaint with the state licensing board, inform
the child protective services, notify your insurance company, tell other
parents, and discuss this matter with your family‘s attorney. Nothing
stops medial idiocy as swift as the chance of losing one's license,
livelihood, and reputation.
Q. "ASD is not caused after birth!!!!! People who have it are born with
it!!!!! Don't you understand that???"
This simplistic and virulent understanding of autism is
based on the self-defeating precept alluded to by the Merck Manual of
Diagnosis and Therapy:
“Autism
Spectrum Disorders: The cause in most children is unknown, although
evidence supports a genetic component; in some, autism may be caused by
a medical condition.” [link]
But, then, in the same breath, Merck goes on to say exactly what I have
been saying all along: "autism may be caused by a medical condition."
That is what my report describes: the sequence of unfortunate medical conditions that precede neurological disorders that,
in turn,
eventually manifest themselves as ASD.
The genetic link is equally shaky, according to the
CDC: “It is estimated that about 10% of children with an ASD have an
identifiable genetic, neurologic or metabolic disorder, such as fragile
X or Down syndrome [link].”
In other words, only 0.1% of newborns are expected to be affected by
autism due to 'bad genes' rather than about 1% (10 times more) as it is
today.
That is why I strongly believe that looking at autism as simply a
“child's problem,” оr “genetics,” or “unknown”
is grossly irresponsible, particularly for physicians in this field and
for parents who already have an autistic child, and may want to conceive
another child.
Neurological development begins in the fetus, and how
well it goes depends a great deal on the health of the prospective
mother as well as her nutrition, mid-pregnancy medical treatment,
environment, luck, and so on. That — the underlying health of “mothers
to
be,” and not genetics — is the reason why twins or consecutive
children are often “born with autism.” I discuss the relationship
between autism and maternal nutrition before and during the pregnancy
here...
Besides maternal nutrition before and during the
pregnancy, a myriad of bad things may
happen between conception and delivery that may cause neurological
damage to the fetus — physical trauma by a seat belt, salmonella or
listeria poisoning in the restaurant, nutritional deficiency related to
NVP (nausea and vomiting during pregnancy), a single tablet of aspirin,
the side effects of antibiotics, second hand smoke, exposure to mercury
in fish, herpes, HPV (human papillomavirus), elevated blood sugar levels
related to gestational diabetes, elevated blood pressure, blood
coagulation problems, the flu, and on, and on, and on...
Next, the quality of breast milk may be too low, and
may eventually cause borderline malnutrition in the infant. This is how
The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy describes this
pathology:
“Infants fed only breast milk, which is typically low
in vitamin D, are given supplemental vitamin D; they can develop vitamin
B12 deficiency if the mother is a vegan. Inadequately fed infants and
children are at risk of protein-energy under nutrition (PEU; previously
called protein-energy malnutrition) and deficiencies of iron, folate
(folic acid), vitamins A and C, copper, and zinc.”
[link]
These factors are rarely (if ever) discussed or
acknowledged in autism circles, but
may explain why some healthy breastfed babies develop ASD without apparent
signs of digestive distress, such as diarrhea.
Next, as I stated elsewhere, when malnutrition takes
hold due to acute gastroenterocolitis (an inflammatory response to
food-born allergens and fiber throughout the entire gastrointestinal
tract that is manifested by acute diarrhea, or gastroenteropathy,
as Merck calls it), the neurological damage may
occur in as little as 5 to 10 days, particularly in children who are
getting borderline-quality milk.
Q. My child
has never had severe diarrhea or constipation, but is still affected by
autism.
Infant undernutrition (related to constipation, diarrhea, poor quality
breast milk, trauma, or what have you) is
only one of the causes, and this is what I describe in my report. I also
believe it is the dominant one, particularly among children who were
born without any discernable signs of ASD. Q. If
what you describe is true, how come older children don't develop autism
even after a prolonged case of diarrhea? Neurological
development takes places between conception and 36 months of life
(the so called “nursing stage”). Since infants and toddlers have limited stores
of essential nutrients, they require an uninterrupted supply of
top-quality food (primarily breast milk or formula).
Anything that disrupts this cycle for even one week may cause
neurological damage.
Past the “nursing stage,” children are “wired in” for
life. True, poor nutrition may result in lower IQ, stunted growth, and a
myriad of other health problems, but it is less likely to cause
post-natal neurological damage related to ASD.
Q. "My son was born with chronic
constipation. he has always been that way. What would you say to me?"
I discuss infant and toddler constipation in these two videos: Why
Is My Infant Constipated? and
Why
Is My Toddler Suddenly Constipated? The first video opens with the
following statement: “There are two types of
constipation — functional and organic. So, first, ask your pediatrician
to rule out obstruction, impaction, infection, or any other condition
behind organic constipation.” Though a child can't be
“born with chronic constipation,” he or she can be affected by a
congenital condition, such as Hirschsprung's disease or a birth defect
that may be causing bowel obstruction, or affects the autonomous or
central nervous system. These disorders, obviously, will manifest
themselves as “chronic constipation.”
This in itself, has nothing to do with autism, except
if these conditions aren't treated immediately, the ensuing impaction of feces
in the obstructed colon will quickly cause an inflammatory condition
throughout the entire GI tract. This condition will soon result in acute
malnutrition, that, in turn, will cause near certain neurological damage
that will eventually manifest itself as ASD.
If these congenital conditions and birth defects are
missed, the fault is squarely with the obstetricians who are supposed to
treat them immediately, rather than taking a laissez-faire attitude —
Don't worry mum, a few days without stools is perfectly okay, as is
often the case today!
Q. Other infants get diarrhea, sometimes prolonged, and they
don't get autism. How do you explain that? Diarrhea is the
body's way of eliminating pathogens from the blood by dumping the blood
plasma inside the colon, and from the GI tract by eliminating digestive
fluids from inside the small and large intestine. These pathogens can be
viruses, bacteria, soluble fiber, parasites, excess electrolytes, and
numerous others.
When the large intestine is the only organ that is
affected by diarrhea, the child will be fine as long as she keeps
consuming breast milk, formula, or appropriate food because these are
still getting assimilated inside the small intestine. In this case the
risk of neurological damage isn't as profound, though still exists in
cases of acute dehydration.
Then, there are situations when the child is affected
by a condition called gastroenterocolitis, — or inflammation of
the mucous membrane in the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. In
these cases, no matter what the child eats, it will get dumped out with
either vomiting, diarrhea, or both.
In other words, simply “eating” isn't enough. Foods
become “nutrients” not after they get swallowed, but after they get
assimilated from the small intestine into the blood stream. This is
precisely what I describe in my report as one of the probable factors
behind acute malnutrition and ensuing neurological damage, even though,
to all intent and purpose, the child is still eating.
What can be done in these situations to avert a
disaster? Well, for starters, a child must be immediately and properly
diagnosed by an experienced physician. Second, she should be taken to
the pediatric hospital, and taken off all foods, so her GI tract is
given time to heal. Third, and this is the most critical, all of his/her
fluids and nutrients should be provided parenterally (via
IV drip) for as long as the healing process takes place, usually 48 to
72 hours. Only after that should feeding be resumed, starting with
fluids only.
This is axiomatic ‘old school...‘ I didn't invent
anything new nor am I proposing some novel exotic treatment. Instead,
children are force-fed with indigestible fiber and laxogenic foods and
fluids, as I describe and illustrate in the video. This isn't a
legitimate medical treatment, but “manslaughter!”
Q. When your report is discussed
on the Internet forums, many parents of autistic children are very angry at you. They poke fun at
your accent, call you a quack, an idiot, a profiteer, a schmuck, a
lunatic, and so
on. Why is that?
People are
conditioned to believe what they wish to believe, so when someone else
comes along, and forcefully tells them something that compromises their
worldview, established groupthink, and belief system, they simply hate the messenger
with the sadistic fervor of a lynching crowd. A kind of road rage, only without the physical
violence.
There is, probably, a certain prejudice over my
accent, unusual background, and ethnicity, but mainly among
non-Americans. Here, in the States, I am always told that my accent is
"charming," and that it makes me stand out, and not once in 30+ years
have I experienced an act of overt ethnic hostility.
Also, I realize, that parents of autistic children
are traumatized by their ordeal, and some may fall into what's
known as “Stockholm Syndrome,” or a condition where the victim so
identifies with his/her captors/perpetrators, that they begin to defend
and justify them. Having your child affected by autism is definitely a
“captive” and “perpetrating" experience.
Obviously, this whole phenomena of utter lack of
civility and incredible rudeness on the Internet forums is
something well known, and is expected.
Still, I feel a great deal of empathy for the children
who can‘t respond on their own behalf, and any
rudeness of their parents over my discourse isn‘t going to stop my work in this or any
other field.
Furthermore, my report is about preventing the 850% growth
in the incidence of autism from soon becoming 1600% growth. There is
little I or anyone else can do for children who are already affected by autism,
because, unfortunately, most of it is irreversible.
This is, incidentally, what is the most misunderstood
aspect of my reporting — it isn't about treatment of autism as such, but
about its prevention in otherwise healthy (at birth) children. A ‘sea‘ of a difference!
Q. Can the
information on this site help my child if she is
already affected by autism?
Yes, absolutely, you can learn a great deal from this site and
from my
books. This information may improve the physical condition of your
child, avert further mental decline, and, perhaps, reverse some of the
damage.
Considering the stresses you are under, it may also help you and
your other children a great deal. And if you are planning to conceive
another child, this is simply a MUST reading if you wish to prevent the reoccurrence of
autism in the future siblings.
Do not expect, though, easy answers or quick-fix solutions.
Unless you do your homework first, it isn‘t going to work. Furthermore, certain aspects of ASD and related
disorders may not be reversible, particularly mental difficulties and
autoimmune disorders, related to inflammatory conditions of the
respiratory and digestive organs.
Still, don‘t defeat yourself by jumping to quick
conclusions, such as “this is so simple, it can‘t be right.” Just
look at the problems you are dealing with, and all of the complex and
expensive “solutions” you have already tried, and evaluate the results.
Did complex “solutions” solve your problems? If you are still reading
this page, apparently they didn‘t!
So, please, suspend your negative thinking for a
moment, and study the information on my site without bias. If you do,
you and your child will be amply rewarded, otherwise don‘t even waste
your time trying, because autism isn‘t just a neurological disorder affecting a child,
but is also a “mental” disorder affecting parents, doctors, and society,
who are all trying to solve a core development problem related to
malnutrition with complex drug-based solutions based on the
misunderstanding of the actual causes, that also happen to cause even
more malnutrition.
Q. Mr. Monastyrsky, do you consult?
I‘ll mortgage my house to pay you if you can save my child...
Thank you for your confidence in my expertise, and I would love to help
you any way I can, but this (individual consulting) isn‘t going to work
for the following reasons:
● First, I am not
some kind of a “healer” with a magic bullet, quick fixes, and instant
solutions under my sleeve. Treating digestive disorders related to autism is an extended, up-hill
fight that requires continuous day-to-day guidance.
● Second, if you
have the financial means to spare, start by secluding yourself in a
hotel away from home for a few days, and study my site and my books
uninterrupted. All of the information you need to help your child
averting
further decline related to digestive disorders and malnutrition is
already on my site and in my books.
● Third,
I am not
an expert on treating autism, but in forensic nutrition and functional
digestive disorders. I investigate, study, and write about the causes of
these disorders, such as malnutrition and its outcome. If you take away
the causes of the functional disorders, they too go away. My research has
little to do with medicine — doctors treat sick people, while I teach
healthy people how not to get sick. True, our respective fields of
expertise overlap around the same human body, but that is where the
similarity ends.
● Fourth, ASD is
partially an organic (irreversible) condition that is commonly
accompanied by severe digestive disorders. This site is about DIGESTIVE
DISORDERS, not AUTISM, and the lofty idea of “winning the war on autism”
is great for fundraisers, but not for autism-related digestive
disorders, because if you are faced with malnutrition, it can only be
“fixed” by eliminating the underlying causes, not by raising more money to pay for treating the
side effects of malnutrition.
● Fifth, each child
affected by ASD is so unique in its own way, parents have to adapt the recommendations
on this site to the child, not the other way around.
● Finally, if money is
no object, contact me here, and commit
to funding a team of open-minded pediatric doctors and nutritionists,
who, under my direction, will develop detailed training video materials
for parents and clinical protocols for doctors to properly treat ASD-related complications, such as diarrhea, constipation,
gastroenterocolitis, indigestion, reflux, withholding of stools,
anorectal disorders, malnutrition, and numerous others.
That, I will gladly do at a
moment‘s notice because that‘s the only prudent way to do it responsibly
and professionally. Since I have absolutely no intention of enriching myself
this way, these protocols and tutorials will be made available free of
charge on the Internet in several major languages, so other parents
worldwide can take advantage of them via the Internet.
If you lack the financial means
to underwrite this project, but still
have a burning desire to help yourself and other parents with autistic
children affected by digestive disorders, begin badgering people of influence to raise awareness
about my research presented on this site; start a discussion group in
your favorite forum; contact charities in the
autism field (that are adding flames to fire by paying for
wrong treatments); raise this subject with your elected
representatives, contact your local or regional media, and the awareness
and money
will follow. That's the only way to stop autism-related digestive
disorders and wrong treatments from ruining even more lives!
Q. Have you done anything besides this site and YouTube videos to make
your views better known?
I am a medical writer, not a public advocate in the style of
Ralph Nader or Michael Moore. I did what I could to the max on these
pages, and am hoping that concerned parents, educators, medical
professionals, epidemiologists, insurers, and government officials will
“carry the torch...”
It isn't a particularly hard
torch to carry: stop wrong treatment advice and stick with
tried-and-true “standards of care” protocols for the treatment of
pediatric constipation, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, and
malnutrition. Q. What should I do
if my infant is getting affected by diarrhea or constipation?
Just follow this brief list:
— Politely reques that your pediatrician review this report in
advance, and adjusts his/her treatment advice and approach accordingly.
When diarrhea strikes an infant, every hour is critical, and isn't a
proper time for study or arguments. — Refuse to follow erroneous
treatment recommendations discussed throughout this page and in my
report. What would you rather deal with — a sick for life child or a
pissed doctor? — Watch
Why
Is My Infant Constipated? and
Why
Is My Toddler Suddenly Constipated? videos. In the next few weeks I
will release step-by-step recommendation for infants and toddlers to
accompany both. — Read the entire
Gut Sense section to understand the
background of both conditions. Besides insuring the safety and
well-being
of your child, this information will “save your own ass” as well.
— If you are planning to have a baby, and would like to do everything
possible to prevent your own nutritional and health conditions to
contribute to fetal damage and affect breastfeeding, please watch
The
preventable causes of maternal undernutrition, and their role in
infertility, birth defects, and autism. |
