Our child’s gut health influences so much of their overall wellbeing. From nutrient absorption to immunity.
We had a chat with Dr Joann Rajah, consultant paediatrician, to talk about children’s gut health and important tips for parents on how to keep their digestive system healthy.
Q1: Why is having a healthy gut is important for kids?
Our gut contains billions of healthy bacteria that work hand-in-hand to ensure that our gut is functioning at its best and optimum level.
Some of the symptoms of poor gut health in children include constipation, indigestion, even gassy stomach, frequent diarrhoea, loss of appetite.
That’s a lot of things to actually worry about as a mum.
I’m sure any of the symptoms would have occurred in a child’s life, at least once. And prolonged poor gut health may actually affect the good and the development of a child’s brain and even immune system.
All these things link back to one another.
Q2: What are the common factors that can affect a kid’s gut health?
So, there are several factors that can negatively impact gut health for a child.
For instance, children with a very poor diet, especially if they’re picky eaters, if they have a diet lacking fibre or one that’s high in fat and sugar, or processed foods.
All of these can negatively affect the growth and survival of good bacteria in the child’s gut. So, with poor gut microflora, this will eventually lead to all the symptoms I mentioned earlier.
However, it’s really hard to avoid all of these unhealthy diets.
That is why it’s so important to give your child prebiotics and probiotics to provide a more holistic gut protection for your child so that you can foster healthy growth and development.
Especially for those who are having the symptoms as mentioned above just now like diarrhoea, gassiness, stomach discomfort or poor appetite.
Q3: What are the factors of altered gut microbiome in children?
The digestive tract’s microbiome is super complex and diverse.
It’s really, really complex and a lot of modern lifestyle circumstances can actually negatively affect a child’s gut microflora. For example, overuse of antibiotics.
A lot children are given antibiotics to treat infections. Now, I’m not saying that it’s not good.
However, the intake of antibiotics can also lead not only to the death of bad bacteria, but also healthy bacteria of the gut.
So, an unbalanced gut microbiome can lead to a lot of gut problems.
Next, a lot of children nowadays are picky eaters. And kids have diets that are full of processed food, refined carbs and unhealthy fats. So, all of this can actually affect a child’s gut microbiome.
The next is restricted exposure. Did you know that when interacting with the surrounding environment, we pick up lots of healthy bacteria, which is beneficial for our gut?
However, children nowadays, they spend very, very little time outdoors. This restricts the number of healthy bacteria that comes into contact with our children, which indirectly affects our child’s gut microbiome.
Another one that is very relevant to our pandemic, which is oversanitisation.
Nowadays, many parents will chase after their children with a bottle of sanitiser and spray their hands after each and every time they touch surfaces.
Although it’s good and it’s warranted to actually help to prevent contact with bad bacteria and whatnot, don’t forget that we are also restricting them from coming into contact with good bacteria that might actually be beneficial for the gut.
So that is why it’s really important to sometimes help to support your child’s gut health by giving them prebiotics or probiotics, especially if they have symptoms such as stomach upsets, diarrhoea, constipation, poor appetite, feeling bloated.
Q4: What are some strategies or tips that parents can use to support their kids gut health?
We all know how important good gut health is for kids to support their overall health and also wellbeing.
So, here are some good tips to promote good gut health in children.
First, try your very best to encourage a well-balanced diet and a varied diet.
Children should eat a diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. All of these foods should provide essential nutrients that is needed and also fibre to keep the gut healthy.
And of course, foods that are rich in probiotics like yoghurt, kefir, natto, are also good for maintain gut health in children.
Q5: What is the Gut-Brain connection & how does gut health affect overall health conditions?
The gut-brain connection actually describes a communication pathway between our gut and also the brain.
There’s actually a network of neurons or nerves in our gut that includes the stomach, the small bowel, the large bowels and also the colon.
So, all of them are actually communicating with each other and influencing our overall health.
Moreover, the gut-brain link also depends on our gut microbiome. If the gut microbiome is healthy, that will also affect our brain function and behaviour.
The gut health actually impacts our overall health. Let me give you an example.
When it comes to absorption of nutrients, if you have an unhealthy gut, chances are you would not be able to absorb nutrients that well. This can lead to a nutrient deficit.
Secondly, with regards to the immune system; if our gut microbiome is inadequate or unhealthy, this increases the risk of infections, especially in children.
Thirdly, is if the gut is inflamed. So, this can also increase the risk of infections. And not only that, it can also lead to health issues such as allergies.
Hence, an unhealthy gut as well can also lead to unstable moods and also behaviour. Poor gut health can also affect the growth and development of a child.
Last but not least, an unhealthy gut can also increase the risk of obesity. It can also lead to abnormal weight gain in children.
And we all know that obesity in a very young age can lead to a lot of health issues later on in adulthood.
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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