Table 2.

Important risk factors and co-morbidities that increase the risk of contracting infections in children with autism

Risk factors	Description
Immune system disorders	High rate of autoimmune diseases
	Immune dysregulation of T cell functions
	Impaired levels of immune mediators
	lower plasma IgG, and IgM
	Continuing immune dysfunction
	High rate of mitochondrial dysfunction
	Oxidative stress
	Neutrophils dysfunction
Medical co-morbidities	Genetic disorders: e.g., fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, tuberous sclerosis complex, and neurofibromatosis type I
	Neurological disorders: e.g., cerebral palsy and congenital abnormalities
	Gastrointestinal disorders: Gastroesophageal reflux and inflammatory bowel disease
	Metabolic disorders: mitochondrial disorders, disorders of creatine metabolism, selected amino acid disorders, disorders of folate or vitamin B12 metabolism, and selected lysosomal storage disorders
	Allergic disorders: Such as asthma, nasal allergies, atopic diseases (IgE-mediated)
Behavioral problems	Stereotyping behavior: Affecting mouth and general hygiene
	Mouthing and pica behavior
	Faecal smearing
Feeding and nutritional disorders	Biological food intolerance
	Restrictive and selective behavior
	Sensory-based feeding problems
	Relational sphere disorders
	Medically-related feeding problems
	restrictive dietary management
	Nutritional deficiencies: e.g., Vitamin A, D, C, and zinc
Gastrointestinal dysfunctions	Gastroesophageal reflux
	Autonomic dysfunction and Impaired intestinal motility
	Gastric hypoacidity and
	Impaired digestive enzyme production
	Gut dysbiosis
	Inflammatory bowel disease
Vaccinophobia	Lack of parental education and awareness
	Anti-vaccine movement