Guest blog by Julie Clark, Nutritional Therapist - How to know if your child has a food intolerance
This month I'm delighted to post a guest blog from Julie Clark, Nutritional Therapist, on the subject of food intolerance in children. This is an insightful blog for all parents. Please place any comments/questions on the page too.
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How to know if your child has a food intolerance (not to be confused with food allergy)?
I have rather a lot of experience and knowledge of food intolerance. Not just professionally but also personally. In this blog, I give you the most common reasons that children experience the symptoms of food intolerance. You will be given the signs to look out for – some of which may surprise you! You will also find out what to do if you suspect your child has a problem. From going to the GP to getting a private test done.
You need to know this first
How to know if your child has a food intolerance (not to be confused with food allergy)?
Food intolerance is not to be confused with a food allergy. An allergy is a full blown, immediate immune response. This can be life threatening. Those with a food allergy (i.e. peanut allergy) must completely avoid the food and carry medication to counter the effects of accidental consumption. If you suspect a food allergy (and you will know) then it is likely to have been an emergency. A food allergy will be diagnosed and treated by your GP/Consultant. It is unusual to seek private help with regards to a true food allergy; however, a nutritionist can help you plan your diet if you need to exclude a food.
What is food intolerance?
Cases of food intolerance have been on the rise in recent years, especially in young children. Personally, I have my views on this, which I won’t go in to here (it involves the gut ecology) and there are many who feel it’s rather ‘fashionable’ to be intolerant! Speaking from experience there is nothing ‘trendy’ about having to avoid certain foods. It can be incredibly isolating, anti-social, embarrassing, costly, time-consuming and incredibly inconvenient!
The Factors
When I see babies and children there is often a common theme that makes them more likely to be susceptible to food intolerance.
Family history
Born by C-Section
Early exposure to cow’s milk (i.e. formula feeding in the first 6 weeks)
Mother’s health during pregnancy (stress is a major factor)
Severe tummy bug or food poisoning at an early age
Use of antibiotics Colic or reflux (also a symptom)
Eczema and/or asthma (also a symptom)
The Symptoms
Your baby or child may have many of the symptoms below or just one or two.
Bowels: loose stools, constipation, undigested foods, unusual colour of stool, blood in stool, mucous in stool. Basically, anything that just isn’t normal (normal is light brown sausage shaped stool!)
Urinary: bed wetting, constant need for the toilet
Digestion: reflux, tummy pains, bloating, noisy stomach, offensive gas, lots of gas, solid tummy
Skin: rashes, redness, dry skin, eczema, dark circles under the eyes
Immune System: excess mucous, constant cough, susceptible to illness, recurrent ear, nose & throat infections, croup, asthma, chest infections, hay fever
Physical: rocking, rigid/stiff, repeated actions (like tapping constantly), clumsiness
Sleep: disturbed sleep
Mood: tearful, overwhelmed, severe mood swings, emotional, angry, perceived as naughty, link with ADHD, anxious, unhappy
Growth & Development: failure to thrive, low weight, not hitting usual milestones
Energy: big swings in energy
Quite often a parent will say to me “my child just doesn’t seem quite right or settled”.
There is a HUGE emotional link with food intolerance and this can affect behaviour and mood. There is a big link between the gut, mind and immune system.
What to do?
Write a food diary. If your baby is younger than 6 months and you are breastfeeding then keep a diary of your food intake. Note the symptoms along with the food diary. Food intolerance can give a delayed onset reaction so symptoms can sometimes take a couple of days to show.
Can you see a common theme?
If you are concerned or worried about your child always see your GP or speak with your Health Visitor. An exclusion diet can be carried out for 2 weeks. I would highly recommend you get help with this. You could exclude any food you’ve noticed from the food diary then reintroduce it to see any changes. The most common culprits are dairy, wheat, gluten, egg and soya.
The most common food allergens are as follows:
Cow’s milk, Wheat, Gluten, Yeast, Egg, Cashew nuts, Garlic, Soya, Brazil nuts, Almonds, Corn, Hazelnuts, Oats, Lentils, Kiwi fruit, Chilli, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Peanuts
Allergy UK have classified the following list of symptoms:
Abdominal pains, Aches and pains, Asthma/Wheezing, Arthritis, Bloating, Constipation, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Diarrhoea, Eczema, Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Fluid retention, Headaches, Lethargy, M.E., Rhinitis, Sinusitis, Skin problems, Stomach cramps, Tension, Urticaria, Weight loss, Restless Leg Syndrome
Getting tested
There are various ways to get tested although the NHS does not support or recommend private food intolerance tests. I personally use both kinesiology (muscle testing) and IgG blood testing. Children cannot be tested via the IgG route until they are 2 years which is why I also use muscle testing. The elimination diet is the best option but it is difficult to do and time consuming. A private blood test will usually involve taking a small blood sample via a pin prick of the finger. This can be traumatic for some children and often you will need to see a nurse to get an adequate blood sample. The blood is then sent to the lab and is tested for a IgG immune response against a panel of foods. Some consider this test to be unreliable, however in my experience I find this test to be incredibly useful. If you would like more information about testing please contact me directly.
How to manage a child’s diet
If you have concluded that your child needs to avoid a food then you will need to make sure that their diet compensates for this. This is particularly important with regards to dairy foods. Someone like me, a Registered Nutritional Therapist, can help you with this.
Food intolerance is not necessarily a life sentence. Most children and babies I see just need some digestive and immune support. On occasions, other therapies may be used to boost their systems or correct any imbalance. Removing the food in the short term can allow healing to take place. Most children are able to reintroduce the food some weeks, months or years later.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT EXCLUDE ANY FOODS/FOOD GROUPS FROM YOUR CHILD’S DIET FOR LONGER THAN 2 WEEKS WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND HELP.
For help or advice with regards to food intolerance please contact me at:- www.julieclarknutrition.co.uk and follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/julieclarknutrition/
