Secretin and Autism

Secretin is a gastrointestinal hormone that helps promote digestion of food.

It stimulates the stomach to produce the enzyme pepsin, the liver to produce bile, and the pancreas to produce digestive juices that help neutralize acidity in the intestines.

Secretin injections or infusions are used to treat a variety of conditions including pancreatic dysfunction and gastrinoma.

Some people believe that secretin can also be used to treat some of the problems facing people with autism (such as gastrointestinal problems) and lead to improvements in other areas (such as sociability, speech, and sleep).

More Information

Please see

• Our evaluation of Secretin and Autism

Related Glossaries

• Secretin

Related Publications

• Carey T. et al. (2002) Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of secretin: effects on aberrant behavior in children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 32(3), Read Abstract (New Window)
  
  
• Chez M. G. et al. (2000) Secretin and autism: a two-part clinical investigation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 30(2), Read Abstract (New Window)
  
  
• Krishnaswami S., McPheeters M. L., Veenstra-VanderWeele J. (2011) A systematic review of secretin for children with autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics. 127(5), Read Abstract (New Window) Read Full (New Window)
  
  
• Owley T. et al. (2001) Multisite, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of porcine secretin in autism. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 40(11), Read Abstract (New Window)
  
  
• Roberts W. et al. (2001) Repeated doses of porcine secretin in the treatment of autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics. 107(5), Read Abstract (New Window) Read Full (New Window)
  
  
• Sandler A. D. et al. (1999) Lack of benefit of a single dose of synthetic human secretin in the treatment of autism and pervasive developmental disorder. New England Journal of Medicine. 341(24), Read Abstract (New Window) Read Full (New Window)
  
  
• Unis A. et al. (2002) A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of porcine versus synthetic secretin for reducing symptoms of autism. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 41(11), Read Abstract (New Window)
  
  

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http://researchautism.net/secretin

Updated

16 Jun 2018