Foul smelling wind constantly coming from my 5 year old - is this normal?!

[Gettingonabitnow]

I mean - it’s clear a room foul. And it’s at least every half hour, and it’s been going on for a good few months, maybe longer. Even when we tell her to try for a poo, and she does one, the wind continues!

Is that normal? She has a good enough diet and a good appetite. Healthy kid. It’s just her guts!

Nothing remarkable in the family in terms of health, her sister has an egg allergy, I probably have IBS though never confirmed and I have a couple of hernias. But that’s it.

Thanks x

My son gets like this qhen he has too much dairy as he has an intolerance. Could it be that?

Does she chew her food properly? A friends daughter was the same - she ate so fast her food wasn’t breaking down and digesting, leading to smelly gasses in her stomach.

Thanks both. She does chew yes, she isn’t really a gobbler. Hadn’t thought about dairy actually.

How are her bowels, does she go regularly?

Ds gets in situations when he holds it in (he has autism) when he does he gets backed up (overflow) and his wind is foul.

He takes laxido (laxative sachets) now and again when it’s a problem.

Does she also have bad breath? If so, that could well be lactose intolerance

What’s a ‘good enough’ diet?

I have taught children with really terrible wind (and it is obvious who it is!) and they generally either have a poor diet or a food intolerance. I’d have a chat with the GP.

Thanks everyone. Her diet is cereal or toast for breakfast, school lunch or something like a shepherds pie with veg at home, spaghetti Bol, then a lighter tea soup and a sandwich, pitta and hummous with cucumber, fishfingers, you know the drill! Fruit as a snack or a yoghurt, doesn’t often have junk. To drink she has water, on occasion cordial, and milk when she wakes alongside her little sister.

Her breath can be noticeable, but she constantly has a snotty nose so put it down to that. I do brush her teeth well.

She did complain of tummy ache for a long time, but that has now gone. we saw the gp a few times who didn’t seem phased, but I might go back to them.

So most children don’t emit this level of wind then?!

Dairy intolerance can cause excess mucus which may explain the snotty nose.?

I’d be worried about the combination of constant snotty nose, foul wind & bad breath. Very possibly an intolerance of something. I’d definitely go back to GP.

I mean-it’s clear a room foul. And it’s at least every half hour

That really isn’t normal, no. Please take her to see a doctor, for the sake of the teacher, if not you!

Tummy ache and snotty nose says dairy to me. I'd cut out the regular drink of milk and see what changes.

My 7yo is a recently diagnosed dairy allergic. She had these symptoms and also painful joints wierdly.

There are stomach bugs that cause this. I think giardia might be one. Takes a while to clear, but it does go.

Snotty nose is also a symptom of dairy intolerance. That plus tummy aches and wind really suggests it. Try cutting dairy for a month and see if she’s better.

So most children don’t emit this level of wind then?!

NO!!! I'd be getting her seen again, as there is clearly an issue there.

@xksismybestletterks
My neighbour has a severe dairy intolerance. As well as the other reactions mentioned, her arthritis flares to the point she can't move and is in extreme painif she accidentally eats something dairy.

My first thought was something related to dairy too.

My daughter had this. Foul! To the point if me and Dsis were talking about something that stunk we would use DDs wind as a bar of how bad it was!
Last year she was diagnosed with coeliac disease (age 12). Since being entirely gluten free she doesn't very often pass wind and if she does it doesn't smell at all!

So most children don’t emit this level of wind then?!

I honestly don't remember the last time I heard my dc fart and I've certainly never smelled it. Definitely not normal nor is a permanently snotty nose. Definitely get it investigated.

Does she eat varied veg? You need a varied unprocessed diet to get the best from food. There are lots of products to help gut bacteria. Someone will know the names, is it kimchee or sauerkraut or kombucha? Not sure on spelling. Not sure if kids can take. Wise ones can no doubt advise on this thread!

Or
Remove one thing from her diet at a time for a week and see if the problem goes.

First week dairy. So that means vegan only including biscuits and snacks as they contain dairy. Check labels of non vegan stuff as it’s amazing where you find unexpected things in food you don’t associate it with!

If probs still there, reintroduce dairy for a week and the following week remove gluten. Again check labels. It sneaks into many things.

Or just go straight to fodmap diet. That removes everything that people are commonly sensitive to. But it’s very limiting.

Whatever you do. Once you’ve done it and you have a culprit you need to go to the GP as excluding whole food groups can be unhealthy in growing children so you need proper dietician advice. If you haven’t got a culprit then you still need to go to the gp as her wind isn’t normal. Something is going on somewhere that needs tweaked to stop the gas.

First week dairy. So that means vegan only including biscuits and snacks as they contain dairy. Check labels of non vegan stuff as it’s amazing where you find unexpected things in food you don’t associate it with!

Fwiw it can take 3 weeks to clear your system of dairy after stopping eating so one week isn't long enough.

Really! I had no idea it took that long with kids. I thought they’d be quicker as their systems are purer.

When I cut out stuff I notice a difference in a week. Overnight if I eat what I shouldnt!

Ok OP best take that onboard and do it in three week blocks.

Thanks everyone. I was expecting everyone to say their dc was the same!

I spoke to the GP today. He basically said as she hadn’t lost weight, nor was she being sick / diarrhoea, then I should try her with some Yakult or equivalent, and it should settle down…any thoughts??

There’s not much goodness in Yakult that teaches the bowel according to some. I think you need something stronger than that with more live cultures.

Try the other stuff, the kombuchas and or whatever. Once her gut has more different good stuff it should be able to break down the bad stuff.

However I’m still inclined to think as I think you said a sibling has an allergy she is likely to have it too. I’d eliminate that first and see how it goes.

The thing that jumps out at me in her daily diet as your describe it is how much wheat she has - almost every meal! I have a mild wheat intolerance in that whilst it doesn't cause serious discomfort or pain if I have pizza, pasta, or commercially made bread products it makes me fart Horribly, and can cause a few trips to the loo the next day... Maybe it's that? Took me a while to pinpoint it and I sometimes don't bother about avoiding if I'm not going anywhere next day and it won't affect anyone
Also try to avoid diary these days for the same reason!