Study on Gut Microbiota in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy

Abstract

Compared to children with cerebral palsy (CP), children with both CP and concurrent epilepsy (CPE) have more severe gastrointestinal symptoms, such as functional constipation (FC), and are more prone to recurrent infections. Our previous study found that these children have gut microbiota (GM) disorders, which are significantly related to the gastrointestinal symptoms and immune functions. The children with CPE also has altered oral microbiota (OM), which is consistent with the change of GM. In addition, the change of OM and GM has potential impact on the occurrence of clinical diseases such as periodontitis, dental caries and malnutrition. In our previous study, it was also found that the abundance of butyric acid- and lactic acid-producing bacteria in the GM of children who have CPE with liquid food in their diet decreased significantly, while the abundance of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria increased significantly. After the butyric acid-, lactic acid-producing probiotics and dietary fibers were administered by us to treat the FC in children with CPE, the FC improved significantly, and the abundance of butyric acid- and lactic acid-producing bacteria in the intestine increased.