The Importance Of Gut Health For Children: Ask Our Paediatric Dietician Your Questions About the Benefits of Good Bacteria and a Balanced Diet to Complement your Kid’s Gut Flora. £200 voucher to be won.

[rosiemumsnet]

Are you concerned about your child’s gut health? Wondering how to manage daily diet or lifestyle related symptoms such as occasional discomfort or how to introduce gut-friendly foods into their diet? Heard about the benefits and role of good bacteria, but still need more information? Or perhaps you're dealing with a fussy eater that just won’t eat their veggies? Our expert paediatric dietician, Emma, in collaboration with the Culturelle® team is here to help!

Share your questions about nurturing your child's gut flora and learn about the importance of a healthy, balanced diet from a young age.

• Everyone who shares a questions on the thread below by Friday 30th August 2024 will be entered into a prize draw
• One lucky Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice
• Emma and the Culturelle® team will be back on the week of 16th September 2024 to answer some of your questions

About The Expert:

Emma Shafqat, a Paediatric Dietitian, Feeding therapist, and parent, brings over a decade of expertise to the table, backed by a first-class honour’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition. With a passion ignited by her own journey raising a child with severe reflux and multiple food allergies, Emma specialises in helping families navigate dietary challenges, particularly tackling fussy eating.

Emma is a sought-after international speaker and parenting expert, featured on top podcasts and media outlets like The Telegraph, Healthline, Metro, sharing her insights and empowering parents worldwide.

Her career spans across the NHS, special needs schools, and private practice, where she offers practical solutions and unwavering support to parents facing similar struggles.

Disclaimer: Please do not rely on this Q&A as an alternative to medical advice from your GP or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matters you should also consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.

Here’s what the Culturelle® team have to say:

“At Culturelle® we believe that talking about the gut is still a stigmatised health issue around the world, and by opening up new conversations we can help people understand more about their bodies, the science and what we and people can all do to support the core of their health.”

Disclaimer: "The information provided is intended for educational purposes. Culturelle® products are not intended to diagnose, mitigate, treat, cure, or prevent diseases."

@ 2024 dsm-firrmenich. Culturelle® is a trademark of the dsm-firrmenich group.

What foods would you avoid giving to children?

Our 3 year old has autism and is always constipated and in tummy pain and is pale and not thriving. She has movicol daily but rejects it often, no matter how we disguise it. We are trying to get her to eat as much whole wheat as possible, but is this a mistake? Should we be concentrating on just trying to get as much nutrition into her as possible rather than focusing on the constipation when everything we do for that just seems to make her tummy worse!

How much water should children be drinking a day and does that help with gut health? thanks

Can I add apple cider vinegar with mother to foods I give to a child - if so at what age can I start - I swear by this for my gut health.

If a baby is weaned too early, does this affect the gut health long term ? I weaned both mine at 6mo - but by sister is thinking of doing this early 4 mo - I really want to dissuade her

Persuade me why a child needs good bacteria if they have a healthy diet ?
AND if you stop giving the supplement - does their body begin to rely on this and not regulate its self ?

My DD has had Covid twice, once really bad the second not so much, I have learned so much about gut health and your immune system, so If I was to start adding 'good bacteria' to their diet - how would I introduce and how would I know if it is having a good effect. ?

My child is on long term antibiotics following a splenectomy, which are the best probiotics for them to take.

How can I help support my 1 year old's gut health after D&V?

What foods help with the good bacteria - which are child friendly (no green vegetables sadly).

When can I first give a child a product with good bacteria ? and would harm be caused if I gave less or stopped for a week or two - holiday time for instance ?

Isn't a probiotic without a change of diet pointless since without the proper food to thrive, the bacteria introduced with a probiotic die in 4 hours and no change in the microbiome is likely to occur.
Are you recommending a change of diet to support the bacteria?

Can I only supplement my child's good flora after a bout of illness where antibiotics have been prescribed ? I think a good diet would be enough for a child who has kefir with honey, and eats greens (hidden in my meals)

Child is fussy with regards to food (no matter how enthusiastic everyone around her is about how nice the food is while we're all eating) and will try foods then spit them out. Child gets constipation to the point of (almost) fecal impaction. Have upped fluids and child is on daily movicol but any help would be appreciated

What are your top 3 tips for good gut health in kids?

Can I only give this in winter when they need an immunity boost ? and if not why ? If it's withdrawn - would this cause any side effect with the gut ?

When should children start consuming food and drinks like yakult and activia for gut health, or are there better alternatives?

My child has been on daily prophylactic antibiotics for over a year now, I'm concerned how this has affected his gut health, what can I do to counteract this? Thanks!

My son has frequent bowel issues. Specifically, he often has diarrhoea, or very smelly stools, or frequent pooping (like 5+ times a day). He is also overweight despite not overeating (eats the same as the rest of the family, who are all on the leaner end of a healthy weight).
He had antibiotics immediately after birth before I'd even had a chance to breast feed him, and I wonder if this has damaged his gut flora and that this is the root if his digestive and weight issues. Does that sound possible? If so, is it permanent, or is there something I can do to help him?

My 8-year-old takes part in a lot of sports (she is in a competitive swim squad). She also attends a sporty school and is on the hockey, netball, gymnastics, and swim teams. She regularly does 12 - 15 hours of sport per week.

I played a lot of sport at school, for the county and the university. I did not get food right (periods were very irregular and I would go months without them, I was anaemic, and then I used to find I healed slowly after injury). I used to grab food on the go (lots of cereal, toast, bananas and rice cakes) and then have an evening meal. I am keen to ensure my daughter doesn't face the same problems.

She is slim and muscular. She is healthy and full of energy in the day, but generally sleeps 11 hours at night (and needs it and likes going to bed by 7.30 pm). She is very picky with food (I think there are some sensory issues), and I worry that she is not consuming enough protein and enough "right food" to fuel her sport. Her swimming hours will increase further in January.

As she is healthy and has energy do I need to worry about her food intake at this stage? Should we be aiming for a certain amount of protein/carbs etc per day? Any recommendations on snacks (have to be healthy and can't contain nuts as school is nut free)?

If she continues competing and training at a high level would you recommend we took her to a dietician and at what age?

Keep an eye out for symptoms of digestive upset in your child such as occasional constipation or diarrhea,
Children who present these issues may benefit from taking a prebiotic and/or probiotic supplement daily. It’s important to choose supplements containing clinically studied strains formulated specifically for your child’s age group.

Culturelle® Kids Daily Supplement Chews and Culturelle® Kids Daily Supplement + Fibre Packets contain 100% Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a strain that has been proven effective to safely populate the digestive tract with good bacteria to support a healthy digestive system in children.

Keep an eye out for symptoms of digestive upset in your child such as occasional constipation or diarrhea,
Children who present these issues may benefit from taking a prebiotic and/or probiotic supplement daily. It’s important to choose supplements containing clinically studied strains formulated specifically for your child’s age group.

Culturelle® Kids Daily Supplement Chews and Culturelle® Kids Daily Supplement + Fibre Packets contain 100% Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a strain that has been proven effective to safely populate the digestive tract with good bacteria to support a healthy digestive system in children.

Some people are concerned about antibiotics and their effect on the good gut bacteria. While we're all aiming to keep our gut balanced with good bacteria, it's important to remember that antibiotics are sometimes necessary for bacterial infections. But there are ways to help support the good bacteria in your gut microbiome while taking antibiotics. For example, strains like Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, which has been shown to help balance the effects that antibiotics have on good bacteria.

The more variety of colours of fruit and vegetables you can have in your diet the better as they all provide different essential vitamins and minerals.
Some of the best vegetable options include mushrooms, spinach, lettuce, bean sprouts, cucumber, courgettes, leeks, peas as they contain plant polyphenols. Example mushrooms contain prebiotics that help the good bacteria to grow. Also leeks have a fibre called inulin which is a known prebiotic too.
The focus should be mainly on increasing the variety of vegetables and fruit in your diet.

Many things we are exposed to can disrupt the balance of good bacteria within the digestive tract, which can leave the gut open to a host of occasional issues. Culturelle® supplements have strains that have been clinically studied to support the gut microbiome, helping to contribute to overall digestive health.
Culturelle® supplements contain strains such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG which is one of the most clinically studied strains in the World †, and has been shown to help restore the natural balance of good bacteria in the gut to help your digestive system feel good.

† Based on the number of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG clinical studies, as of February 2024. Culturelle® is a trademark of dsm-firmenich group.