Reddit thread snapshot: 1tyt4hl
source_class: reddit-thread ingested: 2026-06-29 backend: opencli reddit read
- author: Technical_savoir
score: 989
text: >-
Fecal transplants are quietly becoming a last resort for kids with cancer, autism, and failing guts, and the early
results are hard to ignore
Link to Study
Restoring Microbial Balance: Clinical Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions of Fecal Microbiota
Transplantation in Pediatric Disorders
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/14/6/1241
The Core Issue
A gut microbiome (the trillions of microbes living in your digestive tract) that gets knocked out of balance can
cause serious problems in children, especially kids already dealing with cancer, organ transplants, or developmental
conditions. Antibiotics, chemotherapy, and disease itself can wipe out the good bacteria, leaving the door open for
dangerous infections and worse outcomes.
The Finding
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), which means transferring healthy donor stool into a sick patient to rebuild
their gut community, is well-established for one specific thing in kids: beating back recurrent C. difficile
infections after antibiotics have failed. A single FMT procedure clears the infection about 81% of the time, and a
second round pushes that closer to 90%. Beyond C. difficile, the research is promising but still early, covering
inflammatory bowel disease, autism spectrum disorder, and drug-resistant bacteria.
Why It Matters
Kids with leukemia, those who just had a stem cell transplant, and children on heavy immunosuppressants are among
the most vulnerable to gut collapse, and they have the fewest safe treatment options. FMT could help reconstitute
their microbiome, potentially reducing transplant rejection complications and improving survival. For children with
autism, one open-label study found meaningful improvements in both gut and behavioral symptoms after a modified FMT
protocol, though that result needs much larger trials before anyone draws firm conclusions.
Limitations of Study
Almost all the pediatric data comes from small, single-center studies or case series, not large randomized trials.
Pediatric oncology patients are routinely excluded from rigorous trials, so the field is stitching together evidence
from adult data and
... [truncated]
https://biomesci.com/fmt-children-c-difficile-success-rate-limits/
type: POST
- author: AutoModerator
score: 1
text: >-
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type: L0
- author: ProfitableTrader
score: 46
text: that it is a last resort is very sus imo
type: L0
- author: douche_packer
score: 26
text: ' > yeah why not to begin with now'
type: L1
- author: ''
score: ''
text: ' [+1 more replies]'
type: L2
- author: Ardent_Scholar
score: 8
text: |2-
> The fear is that fecal matter carries major risks. That was true for humans for hundreds of thousands of years. Ingest poop —> die.
>
> That’s why it’s most ethical to start with the people who have the least to lose.
>
> ”First, do no harm.”
type: L1
- author: ''
score: ''
text: ' [+2 more replies]'
type: L2
- author: Technical_savoir
score: 22
text: >-
The gut microbiome's role in everything from immune function to brain development makes FMT one of the most
fascinating frontiers in pediatric medicine, especially since we're essentially treating complex conditions by
restoring an entire microscopic ecosystem rather than targeting a single pathogen. Given how dramatically the
microbiome influences outcomes in transplant patients and the preliminary behavioral improvements seen in autism
studies, which condition do you think has the strongest case for fast-tracking larger FMT clinical trials in
children?
type: L0
- author: aculady
score: 18
text: |-
*Autism?*
What exactly are they doing to these autistic people, and how are they measuring "success"?
type: L0
- author: eloquenentic
score: 12
text: |2-
> “You’re so autistic, we will have to make you eat someone else’s sh\*t to see if you can be cured”
> “Oh. I fell much better now”.
type: L1
- author: ''
score: ''
text: ' [+1 more replies]'
type: L2
- author: gimme_ur_chocolate
score: 5
text: |2-
> Non-autism probably. I’ve read a lot of stuff over the last couple of years that seems to indicate that people never stopped believing autism was a defect that people only tolerated. Now a ‘cure’ is in sight the obsession to make everyone “normal” begins.
>
> For high needs autism it may be beneficial, but for low needs autism it’s just eradicating human diversity at our peril.
type: L1
- author: ''
score: ''
text: ' [+3 more replies]'
type: L2
- author: dkinmn
score: 1
text: |2-
> How extreme certain behaviors are.
>
>
type: L1
- author: Brilliant-Army6857
score: 1
text: ' > This might just be me trying to think the best of the situation but iirc there is a higher incidence of digestive disorders with autistic people. As someone who’s autistic and has stomach issues there’s a *massive* difference in how much I can function when those stomach issues are managed than when they’re not. Sometimes I read stories like this and can’t help but think that any improvement might not actually due to it making people ‘any less autistic’ but autistic kids are more likely to thrive when they’re in less pain and discomfort. '
type: L1
- author: tangoan
score: 13
text: >-
It’s amazing to me how XIAP and HLH, and other severe immune issues that can be fatal, are intrinsically related to
gut health.. because our lymphocytes and immune responses are fundamentally governed by our guts.
type: L0
- author: imfkingsad
score: 3
text: ' > They dont say the stomach is a second brain for nothing.'
type: L1
- author: ''
score: ''
text: ' [+1 more replies]'
type: L2
- author: ExpandedMatter
score: 5
text: >-
I’ve had great success with stem cells and my child, and a friend who didn’t have success with cells & their child,
but saw major benefits with FMT. Just wish it wasn’t so expensive 😩.
type: L0
- author: Mammoth-Coast6282
score: 2
text: ' > Stem cell therapy? I would be so sad if I invested in it and it didn’t work. I heard it cured someone who had the same illness as me. But they said it stopped working when they got pregnant. '
type: L1
- author: queenhadassah
score: 3
text: >-
I hope there are studies on this in neurodivergent adults next. I'd sign up immediately if it had the potential to
dramatically improve my ADHD
type: L0
- author: turquoisebee
score: 2
text: ' > I wish I could know what parts of my ADHD it might affect. Because I’d worry I’d lose some of the creativity and spontaneity and divergent thinking and hyperfocus that I like - but I wish it would fix my executive functioning!'
type: L1
- author: ''
score: ''
text: ' [+1 more replies]'
type: L2
- author: Hartax_
score: 0
text: ' > Neuro diversity is important for society '
type: L1
- author: ''
score: ''
text: ' [+2 more replies]'
type: L2
- author: Ardent_Scholar
score: 2
text: It would make sense to screen babies’ microbiota to ensure development. Easy for parents to take samples…
type: L0
- author: No-Drag-6378
score: 2
text: Cancer, autism and failing guts. Yeah, the unholy trinity. Especially the autism 😏
type: L0
- author: Excellent_Notice4047
score: 2
text: >-
The pharmaceutical companies pressured the FDA for a long time, to restrict fecal transplants. They did it and this
is why it is unavailable. They say it is about infection risk but everyone knows it is mostly because they cannot
patent it. 60% of the FDA is paid for by big pharma
type: L0
- author: Agora236
score: 1
text: ' > Really? I don’t doubt it but any sources?'
type: L1
- author: ''
score: ''
text: ' [+1 more replies]'
type: L2
- author: Pfacejones
score: 1
text: Is there a way to do this at home on your own
type: L0
- author: TheHiddenCat
score: 3
text: ' > A funnel maybe?'
type: L1
- author: Pleasant-Pool-4691
score: 3
text: ' > https://preview.redd.it/ej1dvf3y1r5h1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c67fcce894dc6f42a95541b17714445baaf1d80e'
type: L1
- author: jennylaughs
score: 3
text: " > Yes. The real trick is finding a suitable donor.\_"
type: L1
- author: Coincidcents
score: 3
text: ' > Based on an article that I read, DIY communities are out there. The risk is their poop isn''t screened for bad bacteria. It gets blended with water and funneled into your anus.'
type: L1
- author: OneDougUnderPar
score: 3
text: |2-
> If you can find a donor you trust, yes. But you have to really trust then, not just the faith of desperation trust. Then you either blend with distilled water and enema, or freezedry into pills, or suck it up and suck it up.
>
>
> What you should not do but still read out because it's fascinating, is UltimApe's experience after seeing how basic online FMT pills for dogs saved his dog's life.
type: L1
- author: ''
score: ''
text: ' [+1 more replies]'
type: L1
- author: Fearless_Welder6745
score: 1
text: 'The spice '
type: L0
- author: Lifeabroad86
score: 1
text: Wasn't there a south park episode on this
type: L0
- author: eastbayweird
score: 1
text: ' > The spice melange'
type: L1
- author: hallowblight
score: 1
text: >-
All I know is that a fecal transplant cured my gma of her CDIF so I’m down for more research on the subject. This
was like 10 years ago and she didn’t believe me until she brought it up to her doctor who then immediately booked
her for an appointment and it really helped
type: L0
- author: Excellent_Notice4047
score: 1
text: ' > its in trials for like every disease known to man'
type: L1
- author: maybimnotreal
score: 1
text: >-
I believe it and I desperately would love to do an FTM. I got C. Diff and it ruined my guts and my brain. It gave me
insane IBS-D that has made me want to end it all in the past it's so bad. When I'm having a bad flare up with my
stomach the OCD is on full blast it's so ridiculous. Like the severity OCD symptoms can be directly linked to how
loose or solid my last BM was and it's so fucking dumb.
type: L0
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