The bacteria lurking in childrens' guts could trigger autism, research suggests.
A study found youngsters with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a unique make-up of bugs in their stools.
These abnormalities may come from the youngsters' mothers, who were also found to carry higher levels of certain bacterial strains.
Researchers believe these bacteria may produce substances that block the delivery of chemical messages, which could trigger ASD's onset.
The bugs may also induce inflammation that may lead to the disorder, the scientists have speculated.
The bacteria lurking in our guts could trigger autism, research suggests (stock)
On the back of their study, they hope manipulating a patient's gut bacteria could one day treat, or even prevent, autism.
The study was carried out by the Qilu Children's Hospital of Shandong University in Jinan, China, and led by Ning Li, a researcher in the microbiome centre.
Around one in 59 children in the US has ASD, with boys being four times more at risk, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
And in the UK, more than one in 100 people have the condition, National Autistic Society statistics show.
The condition is notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat because the cause is currently unclear. Its prevalence is on the rise worldwide.
Emerging research links ASD to genetics, however, DNA alone is not thought to be the 'underlying cause' in most cases.
Obesity, stress and infections during pregnancy have been linked to ASD's onset. However, none have been proven.
A mother's bacterial gut make-up may also influence her child's risk of the disorder, studies are also beginning to suggest.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with
