Baseline Salivary Oxytocin Levels in Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study examined whether baseline salivary oxytocin levels differ between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing peers. Saliva samples were collected from 35 children (18 with ASD, 17 controls) and analyzed using a validated ELISA assay. Although oxytocin levels were, on average, higher in the ASD group, the difference was not statistically significant. The ASD group showed greater variability in oxytocin, and an exploratory analysis revealed higher oxytocin levels in females with ASD compared to control females. No significant association was found between oxytocin levels and autism symptom severity. These findings suggest that salivary oxytocin is not a reliable diagnostic marker for ASD but may offer insight into individual or subgroup differences.