Paediatric Nutrition
About
Paediatric nutrition encompasses a range of issues that affect babies and children from asthma, allergies, feeding and growth concerns, to digestive and immune system issues.
We work closely with children and their parents to monitor and promote healthy growth.
Symptoms
Babies and toddlers communicate discomfort by crying, rejecting food or sleeping badly, which can be distressing to parents and difficult to understand.
As your child grows, there are common symptoms to keep an eye on to ensure these do not develop into more serious issues that may affect their health and development:
- Constipation
- Excessive, prolonged periods of crying
- Diarrhoea
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Extreme fussiness
- Fever or recurring colds
- Irritability
- Reflux
- Restlessness
- Skin flushes, rashes
- Vomiting
Causes
A strong immune system begins in the gut, and the first years of a child’s life are crucial for developing a healthy gut microbiome.
Babies born prematurely, underweight, via C-section, with genetic predispositions, or unable to breastfeed, are more susceptible to developing health conditions. Exposure to antibiotics from an early age increases the risk of compromised gut flora.
Common conditions include:
- Allergies — food and environmental
- ADD/ADHD
- Asthma
- Autism
- Autoimmune problems
- Digestive issues — colic, constipation, diarrhoea, IBS
- Infections — ear, sinus, yeast (candida)
- Obesity
- Skin conditions — eczema, psoriasis
14.4% of children age 4-5 are obese, with a further 13.3% overweight. At age 10-11, 25.5% are obese and 15.4% overweight. This data is from 2020/21 and is gathered as part of the National Child Measurement Programme.
1 in 11
children in the UK have asthma
1 in 5
children in the UK have eczema
3-6%
of children affected by food allergy in the developed world
Treatments
Using a Functional medicine approach, we look at your child as a whole, assessing prenatal & postnatal health history, as well as current symptoms, diet & lifestyle habits.
We also consider genetic predispositions, as these play an important role in the risk of developing disease, however, diet, lifestyle and environment trigger its manifestation, meaning these risks can be mitigated and prevented.
Nutritional Therapy
Food is your friend.
Nutrition is one of the cornerstones of a child’s health and happiness. Children’s needs for specific nutrients are different according to their age, and it is important to establish healthy eating habits early on to support their development and prevent illness.
Every child is unique and has been born to parents with their own health histories. Understanding this, as well as the circumstances of your child’s birth and their journey until now, gives us a clearer picture of your child and the possible underlying causes of their symptoms.
We study your child’s food intake to pinpoint if any imbalances exist in their diet and make recommendations as nutrient deficiencies are a common problem in children, particularly for those who were born prematurely, have gut sensitivity, a compromised immune system, or are fussy eaters.
Lifestyle Coaching
Lead by example.
Habits that children form at a young age influence their development, for better or for worse, and as parents we have to lead by example. During the initial consultation, we also discuss you and your child’s lifestyles to understand their environment, as these play a key role in their long-term health.
We encourage physical activity not just for a child’s physical health, but also their mental wellbeing and social development. An increasing number of kids nowadays struggle with attention and sleep deficit, stress & weight issues due to factors such as a lack of physical activity and too much time spent indoors on devices.
Putting all these pieces together, we design a Nutrition & Lifestyle Action Plan to restore your child’s health. We always focus on making this learning process collaborative, fun and encouraging so that your child can form healthy habits.
Functional Testing
Harness the power of science.
In complex cases such as suspected food allergies, digestive or autoimmune issues, or in the case of babies and toddlers who cannot communicate their symptoms, functional testing is an excellent tool for identifying imbalances, trigger foods, and providing scientific answers that can be applied to restore your child’s health.
Chronic conditions are often interrelated, for example, allergies are often linked to gut dysfunction (leaky gut or gut dysbiosis) or a weakened immune response. If your child has digestive issues, a stool test not only assesses their digestion and gut microbiome, but also looks at markers of inflammation, immunity and pathogens and helps rule out suspicions.
In cases where nutrient deficiency or malabsorption linked to gut disorders is suspected, we often recommend a test that evaluates over 125 biomarkers to assess the root causes of dysfunction and inform your child’s therapy. Proper nutrition, as well as improving the absorption of nutrients is key to preventing a number of diseases.
Testing helps us the practitioners, as well as you the parent(s) to understand how imbalances may be impacting your child’s health.
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To ensure the continued practice of safe and reliable therapy, all consultations are currently being conducted virtually.
Satisfied Patients
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Manny V
Autoimmune conditionA couple of years ago I caught what I thought was a typical cold but when the symptoms persisted for over a month I went to see a doctor who prescribed me antibiotics. A few days later I became so ill I was admitted into hospital where I was diagnosed with a very rare and serious neurological autoimmune condition known as ADEM. As part of my rehabilitation, I researched various forms of therapy and asked my consultant to refer me to a nutritionist. Carmen’s knowledge and guidance has taught me what the right foods are for increased cognitive functioning and she has designed a special supplement plan for my brain and nervous system to support my ongoing recovery.