Gut Health Good Health

Did you know that the gastrointestinal tract is more than just a food processor for your child’s meals? The gut is the largest immune organ and 80% of the antibody-producing cells are located in the gut. Moreover, the gut is also home to trillions of microbes, exceeding 400 species! These cells and microbes help to defend the body against diseases. That’s why your child’s gut health is important.

The gut is already fully formed at birth, and a child that is exposed to the right bacteria may have a stronger immune system. In short, your child’s health may be affected by his or her gut health.

Here are some of the characteristics of gut disorders that are often found in children:

Constipation: When your child has difficulty defecating or goes to the potty less than 2 times a week. One cause of constipation is a change in your child’s diet, such as during the weaning period.

Diarrhoea:  Characterised by defecation more than 3 times a day, and when the stool becomes more fluid. In children, the symptoms are often caused by viral or bad bacterial infection and can be triggered or exacerbated by an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the body.

It is important to always have a healthy gut, especially as your child is growing up. Don’t let any gut disorders disrupt your child’s day. Adding probiotics into your child’s diet can help create a healthy balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria within the gut.

Some examples of probiotics include Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Bifidobacterium lactis and Bifidobacterium longum. One way to add probiotics into your child’s diet is through fortified milk. Look out for fortified milk that contains strains of beneficial bacteria such as L. reuteri probiotics to help increase the number of beneficial bacteria in your child’s gut.

So moms, now that you know the importance and benefits of good gut health, aim to plan a balanced diet with probiotics for your child!