How To Relieve Constipation in Children
I’m a gut health expert, who has done everything “right”... and my toddler daughter has been struggling with constipation!
Yes, it feels a little vulnerable to tell you this, but above all else I want to always be honest.
So here’s the honest truth: no matter how hard we try to care for ourselves and the ones we love, sometimes health issues still present themselves. When they do, we have two choices. We can either bury our head in the sand and wish it wasn’t so, or meet the challenge head on.
So today let’s dig into constipation in kids: what causes it, and how we can help. Plus, I’ll share my own story of helping my daughter through this health challenge.
My Daughter’s Constipation Story
From the time I found out I was pregnant, I did everything I could to set my daughter up for a lifetime of gut health. I used oral and vaginal probiotics leading up to her birth, and pushed for a vaginal delivery (even though I had a lot of pressure for a C-section). When she was born, I gave her probiotics on my nipple, and later in bottles of breastmilk.
We waited to introduce solids until she was a little over 6 months, and then introduced them according to the book Super Nutrition for Babies, which is based on the work of Dr. Weston A. price and heavily influenced by the paleo diet. Her first foods were all high-fat, breast milk-mimicking foods like puréed liver and broth, egg yolk from a very softly boiled egg, puréed fish and lamb, and avocado.
And it seemed to really work: by eight months old, she was downing a cup of broccoli at a time. She loved tasting new food - sauerkraut, pickles, curry, and all the veggies.
But then, after a family vacation to Mexico and a bout of food poisoning, something seemed to change. Suddenly, her belly was protruding more than it had before, and she was skipping multiple days between bowel movements. When she did go, she sometimes cried and complained it hurt. Her diet hadn’t changed - so I couldn’t blame too many crackers and cookies, or low fiber intake. It was something deeper than just diet.
As a functional medicine practitioner, I had some hunches as to what was going on - and I’ll share exactly what I did to get her back to daily poops at the end of this post.
But first, let’s dive into constipation in children: why, what, and how we can help.
Signs of Constipation in Kids
Depending on the age of your child, they may not be able to communicate that they’re feeling backed up. That’s why it’s important for parents to keep an eye on things. (And even kids that are verbal may not connect that their tummy hurts because they haven’t been pooping!)
Here are signs of constipation, based on age:
Babies
Constipation is most common in babies during transitions - either from breastmilk to formula, or with the introduction of solids. If a baby is exclusively being fed breastmilk or formula and has constipation, that’s a red flag for a bigger issue, most commonly food sensitivities.
Signs of constipation include going 4+ days without a bowel movement, less frequent bowel movements than normal, crying while passing stools, dry or pebble-like stool, or struggling/straining while pooping.
Toddlers
Normal is considered anywhere from daily to once every 3 days, but sudden changes are a red flag - like if your usual daily pooper has gone 3 days without going. Older toddlers might tell you their tummy hurts, or that it hurts to poop. You might also notice that their stomach pokes out more than usual, and that it’s hard to the touch. Bowel movements might be difficult to pass or unusually large. The stool may seem to move out and then back in before they can successfully pass it.
Because pooping is painful when they’re constipated, toddlers might also start to hold their poop and avoid going. This only makes the problem worse, so it’s ideal to jump in right away with some of the solutions I'll outline here, before they start holding their bowel movements in.
Foods That Cause Constipation in Children
Not enough fiber is the most common food-related cause of constipation. Your child's age + 5 = the number of grams of fiber they should be consuming each day. The exception are babies under six months of age: they have no need for food besides breastmilk or formula. If you’ve introduced solids before six months and your baby is struggling with constipation, stop feeding them - especially if you started with rice cereal or something similar!
Hand-in-hand with not enough fiber goes too many high-starch foods like crackers, cookies, pasta, bread, etc.
Food intolerances, most commonly to cow dairy and wheat or gluten, are another common food-related cause of constipation. Many kids transition from breastmilk or formula straight to cow’s milk, which for many, is the primary cause of constipation. Wheat is also hard to digest and can be constipating for some children. Separately, they may also have gluten intolerance, where gluten exposure causes inflammation and various GI symptoms.
Foods to Help Constipation in Children
In general, kids should be on a Paleo-template diet that emphasizes lots of whole foods, in whole form, the majority of the time. (If your kids are eating this way, you likely don’t need to worry about fiber). There is always room for “excursions” from the diet for special occasions, but those excursions should remain excursions, and not become part of the everyday way of eating.
If you need to overhaul the way your kids are eating, do it slowly and keep them involved. It’s great to have kids in the kitchen, helping you cook. And don’t forget you can blend veggies into all sorts of things! (I’ve included one of my favorite high-fiber, veggie packed recipes for kids at the bottom of this post!)
Adding in these foods to help constipation in children is especially beneficial:
Sugar free water kefir with chia seeds - provides hydration and beneficial wild probiotic strains, adding chia not only helps moisten the intestine, but makes it more fun for kids to eat
Fermented veggies - more beneficial bacteria and fiber. You might think your kid would never eat them, but you would be surprised how many toddlers and babies love them, especially fermented beets!
High fiber foods - strawberries, apples, pears, prunes, bananas, avocado, beets, blueberries, raspberries, broccoli, chickpeas, lentils, black beans, pumpkin, peas, spinach, and sweet potatoes are some of my favorites.
What about oats? While oats get a ton of buzz for being high-fiber, I find that many children have a very hard time digesting grains. Grains contain lectins and phytates, two anti-nutrients that can cause leaky gut. I don’t recommend emphasizing grains, and instead focusing on other high-fiber foods.
Finally, make sure your kids are well hydrated! Babies over 6 months can have 2-3 ounces of water, a few times daily (and will get the majority of their hydration from breastmilk or formula). Toddlers should be drinking 16-32 ounces of liquids daily, with the majority being water, not milk, milk substitutes, or juice.
If your child refuses to drink enough water, soaking fruit in water in the fridge overnight can add some flavor, as can a splash of something flavorful such as the low-sugar Kefir Water drink mentioned above, or coconut water.
What Else Causes Constipation?
If diet has already been addressed and constipation isn’t improving, it’s time to dig a little deeper. Some of the other causes of constipation I commonly see in children include parasites, H pylori, Candida overgrowth, and Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).
Kids touch… everything! And they constantly put their hands in their mouths, making them prime candidates for parasites and pathogens. Plus, their immune systems aren’t yet fully mature, making them more susceptible to things like foodborne illness or parasites in water. (Water can be contaminated when traveling - but even city and well water can become constmainted. That’s why we use a Berkey water filter.)
Acute GI infections, such as food poisoning, can also lead to a condition called Post-Infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome, better known as Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). Learn more about SIBO here..
All of these issues can be diagnosed via stool panels and treated naturally with child-specific herbal protocols. (As a mom, I know how hard it is to get kids to take anything yucky-tasting… so I worked hard to find a treatment plan kids would actually take!)
If your child is old enough to blow into a tube, we can also run a SIBO breath test, but in kids I find treating dysbiosis more generally based on stool panels alone is typically adequate (and saves you money and time, too!)
Constipation Relief Supplements
In addition to diet, specific supplements can make a huge difference in kids’ constipation.
Herbs: I prefer gentle carminative herbs (gas-relieving) over laxatives, because laxatives can be habit-forming (even herbal ones!) That being said, I prefer herbal laxatives over Miralax any day!
Why I Don’t Recommend Miralax
Miralax is often a first line of defense against constipation in kids, but for several reasons, I don’t like it, including that it contains red dye, hasn’t been approved for use in kids or long-term use by the FDA, and is associated with ADHD and other mood/behavior disorders. It can often be habit-forming, and leave kids dependent on it to poop. There are lots of herbal alternatives that work just as well, without these concerns.
Pre- and Probiotics: Probiotics are the good bacteria that live in the gut, and prebiotics are the food probiotics need to thrive. I recommend MegaSporeBiotic (which i use at ¼-½ the adult dosage of 2 caps per day, depending on the child’s weight) and MegaPre prebiotic (2 caps per day, which is ⅓ adult dosage). If you want to try a prebiotic option, I recommend Begin Health Growing up Prebiotics that use human milk oligosaccharides, which are identical to the most abundant prebiotic naturally found in breastmilk [plus get 20% off first purchase with my code: BRIE20].
Magnesium: This mineral can help bring water to the bowels. I use Mag-Go kids.
Try These Tricks to Help Ease Constipation
In addition to diet and supplements, there are a few other tricks to try:
Drink this: For quick relief, I like ¼-⅓ cup aloe vera juice and 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorophyll, 3x daily.
Massage: I use Chinese medicine tuina techniques with oil, followed by raising the knees up to the right and then around clockwise in a circle. Repeat this several times a week for about 10 minutes. Below is another massage location for constipation in children, on the hand. Start at the base of the thumb and work in a clockwise direction, pressing and releasing along the circle.
Get into position: Giving kids a place to rest or elevate their feet while pooping puts them into an ideal posture for pooping. This makes a big difference. I like the Squatty Potty for Toddlers or Super Pooper Plus.
Make time to go every day: Kids are busy moving from activity to activity - and sometimes when the urge to go comes on, they’d rather ignore it than stop what they are doing. That’s why I recommend creating a habit of trying to poop at roughly the same time every day. (If you notice they have a time they most often poop, like after lunch, that’s a good time to try!) Just keep it light hearted: go sit on the toilet, read a book or sing a song, and don’t make a big deal out of it. If they don’t poop, NBD. It’s about building a habit.
Putting The Plan Into Action
Let’s go back to my daughter’s story, and I’ll explain how and what I did to get her pooping regularly again.
Although she was already eating a diverse diet of lots of plant foods, I doubled down on getting her plenty of fiber, made sure she was well-hydrated, and added a magnesium supplement. Despite these changes, we still had an issue.
My next step was adding some simple herbs that are safe for kids, like Easy Going and Bioray Pooper.
When that still wasn’t enough, I ordered a stool test for her. The test showed overall general dysbiosis and low secretory IgA, a sign of immune function. I created a custom protocol of herbs and probiotics to address the dysbiosis and clear the bacteria. We also added chiropractic and acupuncture - (both of which she loved! She asks me to give her acupuncture now, regularly!)
After a few weeks of treatment, we re-tested: the dysbiosis was improved, but her secretory IgA was still low, and now the stool panels had revealed candida and H pylori. (Note: it’s not completely uncommon to treat a finding, retest, and uncover another layer of pathogenic organisms. This often relates to disruption of biofilms). We started a new treatment and added massage and cat/cow stretching - and that did the trick! Now she’s back to regular pooping, her tummy isn’t hard or distended, and she doesn’t have pain when she goes.
As a mom and a health practitioner, there’s nothing like seeing a successful treatment! But as you may have noticed - it wasn’t a simple one-step process, or just a matter of adding in one supplement. The human body is complex, and often the treatments that are most effective are a little more complex, too.
But don’t worry - you don't have to figure this out yourself! If you’ve already tried the suggestions in this blog post, and your little one is still struggling, book a free 15-minute consult with my team here.
Brie
PS - Here’s one of my favorite recipes for muffins - kids love it, and it packs a great dose of fiber and veggies.
Safe Effective Herbal Remedies for Common Childhood Illnesses
Table of Contents:
- An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
- Is It Really a Seasonal Illness—Or Something Else?
- Children’s Remedies for Colds, Flus, or Other Ear, Nose, and Throat Symptoms
- Children’s Remedies for Belly Aches and Poor Digestion
- Children’s Remedies for Skin Irritations, Rashes, and Skin Allergies
- Children’s Remedies for Emotional Upset, Agitation, and Poor Sleep
- Don’t Be Frightened of Fevers
- Safe, At-home Remedy for Fevers
- How To Improve Children’s Immunity
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You roll over in bed and open your eyes to the sound of little feet padding across the bedroom floor.
“Mama, I don’t feel so good.” Cough, cough, sniffle.
Ugh. It’s inevitable. Kids get sick. And then, you get sick. And if you have had a little one in daycare or preschool, you may have wondered if your home was getting hit with every virus on the planet, a new one seemingly every 2 weeks.
The good news? Exposure to lots of germs will build your child’s immunity. The bad news? Hearing them cough all night or struggling to breathe through a stuffed-up nose will break your heart.
What’s more, you’re not going to get the sleep you need when you’re concerned about your child. And that will do a number on your immunity, too.
And these days, you’ll also worry whether it’s just a cold or flu or whether it’s COVID.
I have a little one of my own. So I know how heart wrenching it is when a child becomes ill. That’s why I always make sure to have some child-safe dietary supplements and nutrients on hand—just in case.
In this blog, we will cover the most common illnesses that plague our little tykes and the home remedies to turn them around. Beyond seasonal colds and flus (where we will start), I’ll also go over tummy complaints, skin irritations, and emotional upset and agitation. I want you to have these tools to help your child at the earliest signs of illness, when it really counts.
Here are some of the children’s supplements I keep in my own natural home medicine chest. But first…
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
Of course, the best strategy is to keep your child from getting sick in the first place. Nutrition is your first and most powerful tool in keeping kids’ immune systems working right.
Many of us find ourselves wondering what to feed our previously milk or formula fed babies when 6 months roll around and our newly sitting little one, with teeth, shows interest in food. If you’re like me, this caused me more than a little anxiety!
One thing to know is that at least until 12 months, food is really about exploring, introducing, and experiencing. It’s much less about nutrient intake. So don’t stress if you only get a bit or so in (or mostly in….the rest will end up on their outfit, in your hair, or on the floor. If that’s happening, you’re doing it “right”! Solid or semi-solid food can be given every few days, initially. And, even in the toddler years, it’s completely normal for kids' appetites to ebb and flow dramatically. One pediatrician wisely expressed her advice as, “Think about what they consume over a week, rather than this or that meal.”
Without going into detail on what to feed your baby and when, I will link to my favorite book on this subject HERE.
For kids who are eating solid foods, avoid processed foods and grains (fun fact: we don’t really make the digestive enzymes needed to digest grains in adequate amounts until at least 2 years of age). Focus on grass-fed animal products, pasture-raised eggs, and raw dairy. Make stocks and soups from organ meats and bones.
Most importantly, avoid sugar and fruit juice, which weakens immune cells’ ability to fight off infections. One study showed that eating 100 grams of sugar doesn’t decrease the number of immune cells (neutrophils), but it decreases how well they respond to infection. Watch out for processed grains and flours such as fruit, crackers, puffs, and chips. We want to avoid those for our children, however hard that may be. Instead, choose fruit with fiber and starchy vegetables to complement the healthy meats and eggs. And for on the go snack options (yes, i know we all love a good puff ; )-- there are now nutrient dense grain-free options like these, which contain bone broth, cassava root, and whole veggies--toddler approved!
Their pouches are really amazing as well, and include wild caught or pasture raised animal foods, healthy fats, bone broth, and high mineral organic veggies.
Is It Really a Seasonal Illness—Or Something Else?
Before reaching for dietary supplements, be certain your child’s problem is really a cold or a flu and not an imposter. Congestion, fever, hacking cough with a greenish discharge from the nose or eyes can mean your child is actually teething. Teeth breaking through the gums can cause inflammation. This mirrors symptoms of a viral or bacterial infection.
Children’s Remedies for Colds, Flus, or Other Ear, Nose, and Throat Symptoms
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system of medicine that has been used to diagnose, treat, and prevent illnesses for more than 5,000 years. As a TCM practitioner, I have seen these safe, gentle Chinese herbal formulas work wonders for congestion of the ears, nose, throat, lungs, as well as coughs, and colds. Kan is a good brand. I know because I used to work as their herbalist, and I know they test for purity and accuracy of proper composition of herbs, heavy metals, pesticides, and microbial contamination. In general, I recommend using medical grade Chinese herbal formulas that you can buy through a healthcare practitioner.
Give the TCM herbal formulas I mention below to your child when you nurse or when the child eats. Mix them in water, juice, or mashed fruit or veggies. My daughter even loves the taste directly on her tongue and asks for them! Here are general doses to keep in mind:
0-4 years: 15-30 drops, 2-4 times daily.
In very tiny babies (under 6 months), consider 3-5 drops if at all.
4-8 years, 30-45 drops, 2-4 times daily.
8-12 years: 60-90 drops, 2-4 times daily.
1 full dropper = 30 drops
In very little ones, give the TCM formulas through breast milk. If you might need to give this treatment through breast milk to your nursing infant, please consult with a trained practitioner first. Dosing varies for mothers. In general, I recommend mothers take 2 milliliters per dose, 30-45 minutes before nursing for the highest concentration in breast milk.
Immune-Boosting Nutrients
It’s best to start with the basics. Defending your child against common childhood illnesses starts with making sure he or she is nourished with the most effective children’s immune vitamins.
Vitamin C and Zinc – Both of these are immune-boosting powerhouse nutrients that can stop viruses in their tracks. Vitamin C may stop your child from getting sick in the first place. And when your child is already ill, vitamin C and zinc can shorten the amount of time your little one is sick. They can also make the illness less severe.
The bad news? Deficiencies in these nutrients are really common. Zinc deficiency is an especially big problem. That’s because an anti-nutrient known as phytate found in many cereals blocks zinc absorption. If your child gets a lot of upper respiratory tract infections like colds or respiratory flus, you can probably blame it on zinc deficiency. Giving kids zinc reduces the risk of respiratory infections and their duration.
Signs of low zinc:
- Growth retardation
- Neuro-sensory disorders or cognitive impairment
- Rough skin (bumps on arms is need for omega-3 fats or vitamin A usually)
- Lowered immunity
- Signs of depression and ADHD correlation
Vitamin D – This is another nutrient important for immunity. And many people are deficient. We live in a sun-starved society where people stay indoors for fear of getting skin cancer or are simply too busy to step outside.
I give my kid a sugar-free vitamin D gummy every day. Just be certain your child is old enough to chew, otherwise this type of vitamin D is a choking hazard. You can use vitamin D drops for very young kids who can’t chew and make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D yourself, especially if you’re breastfeeding.
Multivitamin – Still breastfeeding? Then make sure you’re taking a good prenatal vitamin. For children who are older and able to chew, I like Xymogen Kids Chewable Multi.
Anti-Viral Supplement
Monolaurin – This coconut-oil-derived supplement hits the virus where it counts: its protective lipid shield, which destroys the virus’ main defense. South Pacific islanders who ate a lot of coconuts had almost no colds or flus compared to other non-coconut-eating native peoples.
Monolaurin is one of my favorite children’s cold or flu remedies. You can give your child monolaurin proactively or at the first signs of a cold or stomach flu. This reduces their symptoms and speeds up their healing. The product I like is called Lauricidin. The mini pellets should be swallowed with water or juice or placed in apple sauce, pudding, or peanut butter.
Immune Support
Probiotics – These friendly flora do double duty. They can keep children healthy over the long-term and reduce symptoms when your little one is sick. They’re especially good at reducing symptoms of colds and flus and fending off the ear infection known as otitis. I’m particularly fond of Klaire Labs Ther-biotic for Infants powder and Klaire Labs Ther-Biotic Children’s Chewable. Garden of Life Gummy Probiotics is another good one for children who can chew, as is RAW Probiotics Kids.
Colostrum – This is a fluid released from the breasts of female humans, cows, and other mammals after they’ve given birth and before breast milk is released. It’s a powerful immune-booster packed with antibodies that fight infections. This is an important supplement for infants who aren’t breastfed, are under six months old, and who have GI issues. Keep in mind that taking too much colostrum can cause constipation and the non-spray form has dairy. My favorite product is PRP Spray.
Myco-Forte Liquid – This moisturizing supplement is a good choice to support immunity in kids with dry mucous membranes and respiratory tracts. Ideal for kids who tend to have dry skin or get a dry, barking cough when they get sick.
DHA – An omega-3 fatty acid, DHA fortifies kids’ immune and respiratory function in utero and during developmental stages in childhood. DHA also prevents asthma attacks. And we haven’t even touched on its stellar actions for brain development! Important for mom to take during pregnancy and for kids throughout childhood and beyond.
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) – This amino acid breaks up thick gunky mucous in the nasal passages and respiratory tract. It boosts the production of glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant. One bonus: NAC may also make kids with autism less irritable and cut down on obsessive compulsive behavior like hair pulling, nail biting, and skin picking.
Bioray NDF Immune – Supports lungs, throat, and sinuses and reduces body aches during viral infections. It bolsters the immune system, calms irritability, and strengthens respiratory health. The formula contains chlorella, antioxidants from organic fruit, and naturally occurring vitamin C, zinc, copper, manganese, calcium, and potassium. Great to pair up with the two traditional Chinese medicine formulas Chest Relief and Pipe Cleaner (more on these below).
Windbreaker – A combination of Chinese cinnamon, chrysanthemum flower, Chinese mint, burdock seed, and honeysuckle flower, this formula fights an invasion of viruses and bacteria. It’s good for kids with symptoms like sneezing, coughing, runny nose, mild fever, aches, irritability, and itching or scratchy eyes, nose, and throat. Start this at the first sign of illness and continue it while your child is ill. Pair it with any of the below formulas for colds and flu.
Minor Bupleurum combined with Windbreaker – Antiviral and antibacterial, Minor B is used both to ward off colds and flus and to fight them after they’ve gotten into the body. It opens blockages, so I love this for ear infections.
Chest Relief – A combination of citrus peel, licorice, bamboo juice, and white mulberry leaf, Chest Relief formula gently clears phlegm and boosts immunity. It’s best for cough with sticky phlegm that’s hard to cough up and that’s made worse by drafts, temperature changes, or when your child is out in the wind or lying down. It’s not a good choice for severe wheezing.
Pipe Cleaner – This combination of schizandra, radish seed, and honeysuckle flower, normalizes mucous secretion and breaks up congestion and strained breathing. Best for children with symptoms like wheezing, coughing, dry throat, sticky phlegm (yellow or green), and feeling thirsty. This can be used together with Chest Relief.
Open Air – Apricot seed, tangerine peel, and Chinese cardamom team up to relax the chest, and open up air tubes in the lungs known as bronchioles. It’s good for wheezing, shallow breathing, and a cough with phlegm, as well as a dry mouth and throat. Open Air is used more for when cold or flu symptoms resemble asthma.
This Little Piggy and Other Tips
Acupressure of the feet – Massage your child’s sides of toes to open up and drain the sinuses. Gently roll each “little piggy” between your fingers.
Use a Humidifier with Eucalyptus Oil – Adding eucalyptus oil to a humidifier can fill the air with an antiviral scent.
Children’s Remedies for Belly Aches and Poor Digestion
Grow and Thrive – This is a gentle Chinese medicine formula that can help with loose stools, diarrhea, poor appetite, slow growth, indigestion, and more. It promotes digestion and assimilation of food for better nutrition and growth. It encourages food to pass smoothly through the intestines, training peristalsis (the muscular actions that squeeze food through the gastrointestinal tract). Grow and Thrive promotes a healthy gut microbiome. It contains lycii berry, Chinese hawthorn berry, tangerine peel, radish seed, fennel, magnolia bark, and toasted kudzu root.
Grow and Thrive is indicated for children with underdeveloped “spleen.”In Chinese medicine, spleen has many functions, but it somewhat correlates with our ability to digest and assimilate our food. When we can’t digest and assimilate properly, our bodies become starved for nutrients and our cells and organs malfunction. When the “spleen” is weak or underdeveloped, we will often see “dampness” in Chinese medicine. In Chinese medicine each organ system has a state of relative moisture and temperature in which it functions optimally; generally speaking, the Spleen operates better when dry and warm, and problems arise when it is cold and damp. A cold, damp spleen can show up as loose stool, drooling, poor appetite, and kids who tend to start solids later. That’s because spleen strength is required to be able to handle and use those solid foods!
When your child cuts teeth, it means that the “spleen” and “kidney” are developing well. Not to be taken literally. In Chinese medicine, “kidney” is related to the ability to develop and grow. In other words, digestion, assimilation, healthy growth, and development are underway!
This is a sign that your baby is ready for solid food introduction. What we feed them can support or hinder this development. Focus on nutrient-dense foods. For example, avoid rice cereal and opt instead for liver and egg yolk. Meat broths, veggie broths, and pureed veggies are great. Fruit in moderation.
Tummy Tamer- This formula helps move food through the intestines and counteracts indigestion, belching, gas, bloating, nausea, bad breath, or stinky poo. With cardamom, fennel, bitter orange, licorice, and water plantain, Tummy Tamer eases belly aches, slow digestion, and irregularity. It also helps relieve symptoms after eating such as nasal congestion, fatigue, or irritability. If your child has these or other food sensitivity symptoms, you will like this product. But dietary changes and addressing root causes of gut-immune imbalance are also necessary to send food sensitivities packing.
Easy Going- If your little one can’t go, this is a gentle and tasty option containing rhubarb root, flax seed, hyssop, and bitter orange fruit. It does many of the good things for digestion as Tummy Tamer but it is specifically designed for constipation. I tend to use this along with Liquid Magnesium (Douglas Laboratories) and sometimes combine it with NDF Pooper formula as well. This should be discussed with a trained practitioner if your child has ongoing constipation, but it is generally safe for occasional or short-term use.
Belly Binder- Much like Tummy Tamer above, Belly Binder moves food through the intestines and optimizes digestion, but it is specifically designed for children with diarrhea or loose stool. It contains lotus seed, Chinese yam, anemone root, and cardamom. Chronic loose stools or diarrhea aren’t normal so you may need to meet with a trained practitioner and run a stool panel to get to the root cause. But for occasional or short-term use, it is generally safe.
Any of the above 3 can be combined with NDF Tummy.
Children’s Remedies for Skin Irritations, Rashes, and Skin Allergies
Fire Fighter – This is a very energetically “cold” formula for rashes, swollen glands, or gooey leaky rashes. It’s great for infections of the eyes, ears, nose, or throat (think sinus infections or Strep throat). It clears and moves heat and toxins out of the blood using dandelion root and flower, Chinese mint, scrophularia root, and clove flower. It circulates healthy blood and oxygen to the skin and mucous membranes where it is needed. Fire Fighter can help with hives, boils, acne, or itchy insect bites or stings. It can help with mild allergic reactions and even food sensitivity symptoms. It is not for long-term use, but is very safe.
Children’s Remedies for Emotional Upset, Agitation, and Poor Sleep
NAC – Mentioned above for thinning mucus, NAC also helps to calm irritable children. It can help with hair pulling, nail biting, skin picking, children on the autism spectrum, or other signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It supports detoxification by making the master antioxidant, glutathione. I recommend 300 – 900 mg/day three times daily in kids over 5 years old.
NDF Focus – Improve your child’s cognitive function, focus, and his or her ability to handle stress. This is a perfect addition when your child also has a histamine response, such as seasonal allergies, runny nose, and/or itchiness. I like this in cases where ADD is a consideration. NDF Focus reduces environmental sensitivities, supports adrenal health (Eluethero, reishi mushrooms, Chinese licorice root, Schisandra berry), and liver health (milk thistle, Agaricus, Chinese licorice).
Quiet Calm - This formula clears heat from the mind and spirit, relaxes muscles and nerves, and stops spasms. It will help your little one with mood swings, crying spells, moodiness, pensiveness, anxiety, timidity, and/or tantrums. With jujube seed, Schisandra, lotus seed, mimosa tree bark, gardenia fruit, and red tangerine peel, it’s good for kids with difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or with nightmares. It is even more appropriate if there is mucus in the ears, throat, or sinuses.
NDF Sleepy- Good for restlessness and worry, it is similar to Quiet Calm and can help kids fall asleep more quickly. Similarly, it contains jujube seed, and albizzia bark (bigger happiness tree), which has been shown in studies to improve getting to sleep and staying asleep. It also contains dan Shen and reishi mushroom to soothe irritability and restlessness.
Quiet Calm and NDF Sleepy are very similar, some kids respond better to one over the other. I usually try one and then the other to see which is the best fit.
Nutrition plays a big part in children’s stress, anxiety, attention deficit, and mood. Check out The Better Brain, a book by premier researchers Dr.s Bonnie Kaplan and Julia Rucklidge, which explores the topic further.
Don’t Be Frightened of Fevers
Does your child spiking a fever send you into a panic? Even as a trained medical professional, the first time my child spiked a fever it was scary! We might even reach for the Tylenol (acetaminophen) to lower that fever. After all, it’s safe compared to aspirin, right? Nope. Tylenol (Acetaminophen) in excess is well known to harm the liver. Tylenol is tied to increased risk of asthma, eczema, allergies, and runny nose. All of these are symptoms of liver toxicity and leaky gut, indicating Tylenol could contribute to these two conditions.
Even worse, Tylenol is dangerous when mixed with other drugs. Every year there are 100,000 calls to poison control centers and 450 deaths from Tylenol-caused liver failure alone. Acetaminophen causes more cases of acute liver failure than all other medications combined.
Listen; I’m not saying don’t ever use Tylenol. Just think twice about whether your child really needs it. Consider leaning on the natural remedies mentioned earlier, first, when your child is feverish, coughing, or congested. Generally, fevers under 102 degrees are not something to worry about. Viruses like cold. They don’t like heat. A fever sends the virus on a one-way trip to the Sahara desert, where it heats and destroys the little bugs and stops them from thriving. The faster your child burns off the virus, the sooner they will be feeling good again!
That said, if you are confused or think you need to seek medical help for your child with a fever, then by all means do so. Your intuition is primary!
Here are some general rules of thumb about navigating your child’s fevers.
Seek medical attention for:
- Babies under 3 months with a fever of 100.4 or higher
- Babies between 3 and 6 months with a fever of 101°F (39°C) or higher
- Kids over age 3 with a fever over 102° F that lasts for 2 or more days
Seek medical attention right away if your feverish child has these symptoms:
- Trouble feeding (nursing)
- Trouble breathing
- Rashes
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Inconsolable
- Lethargic and drowsy, less responsive, or trouble waking up
- Lowered urine output or not pooping (if very young)
- Rapid or strained breathing
- Rapid pulse
- Body or neck seem stiff
Herbs can help lower fever in children but you will need to discuss this with your trained healthcare provider.
Safe, At-home Remedy for Fevers
Here is an old Chinese medicine treatment, called the “Lemon Wrap,” to lower fever. It is safe to try at home, and especially when fevers are on the lower end and not accompanied by any of the symptoms mentioned above. I have used it with babies older than 6 months, and with toddlers, with fevers higher than that mentioned above.
You will need:
- A lemon
- Hot water (2-3 cups) in a pan
- One pair of adult cotton socks
- One pair of adult wool socks
- Rubber dishwashing gloves
Directions
- Warm up your child’s feet with warm water or a warmed water bottle first.
- Squeeze the juice of a lemon in 2-3 cups of water.
- Heat in a pan until hot to the touch.
- Soak the cotton socks in the mix.
- Put on gloves and squeeze out the excess liquid from the socks. It may be hot on your hands. Let the sock cool until you can comfortably touch it, like to the safe but warm temperature of bathwater for your child.
- Pull on the cotton socks over your child's feet, all the way up the calves, or thighs if it reaches.
- Put the wool socks on over the cotton ones, and cover up your child with a blanket.
- Wait until the socks are completely cool to the touch, or dry. They will actually dry out pretty quickly,
- Then apply another round. Up to 3 times.
Your child will probably nap after this fever-lowering treatment. You should see the fever come down several degrees in a relatively short time, as few as 1-2 hours. If the fever persists, seek medical help.
How To Improve Children’s Immunity
Illnesses are part of daily life with children. But there are so many preventative, nutritional, and herbal tools at your disposal to ease their discomfort and get them well sooner. If you’d like to work with me to support your child’s immune health naturally, let’s meet for a free 15-minute troubleshooting call. During this chat, I’ll get to know more about your biggest concerns and where your child might be struggling. Then I’ll work with you to devise a customized plan to keep your little one healthy and strong and ready to face any immune challenges that come your way.
