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Can Smarties cause adverse behaviour?

5 replies

Poppychick · 11/10/2011 20:41

DS has been having some behavioural problems lately which are generally manageable. However, as a rare treat on Monday he had a slice of birthday cake with smarties on it for lunch at school. He never usually eats anything like that at all. Shortly after a huge incident followed at school mostly involving a huge temper outburst, uncontrollable violence, having to be restrained, sobbing & couldn't stop. It took over an hour to calm him down and was very distressing.
My question is this - despite the claims that smarties have no dodgy things in them, could they have caused the reaction?

In addition ot this, as a child I suffered from hyperactivity which my parents successfully controlled by cutting out certain things from my diet. Could it be hereditary?

OP posts:
MonsterBookOfHorrors · 11/10/2011 20:44

I personally have stopped ds having smarties, the new ones, due to the hyper episode he had. It was like he had had a few cans of redbull. Hell!

Effjay · 11/10/2011 20:47

Are you sure it couldn't be something else e.g. tiredness? How old is he? Has he just started reception?

Poppychick · 11/10/2011 20:50

It could be something else yes but just seemed odd that i happened half an hour after eating Smarties which he has possibly never had before.

OP posts:
Redbluegreen · 11/10/2011 20:52

Smarties are the only thing we have found that make ds1, normally a very level, calm boy, into a complete loon, so he no longer gets them as a treat!

whenIgetto3 · 12/10/2011 09:50

My DS can't have smarties due to the natural food colouring in them. Annato is a natural colour which can cause severe hyperactivity in little ones. My DS had some when 2 and couldn't stop shaking for 11 hours after he was crying that he wanted to sleep but couldn't and was very violent but couldn't explain why other than he was just fuzzy in his head. Now as an 9 year old he is ok on some colorings but if anything looks artificially yellow or red he avoids it

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