Natural treatment of gastro in kids

Kids down with gastro? Gastro is a parent's worst nightmare. When the vomiting and diarrhoea hits, the fear of who's next sets in. In this article, we share some tips on what to drink and eat when your child has gastro and supplements to help heal from the infection.

Natural gastro treatment for kids Nutrition For Kids

Phases of gastro treatment

Treating gastroenteritis naturally relies on several key phases and priorities. These phases can help reduce your child's gastro symptoms (and help you escape days of washing sheets and holding your child's hair) and support their recovery. 

These include:

  1. Manage symptoms and minimise the severity

  2. Reduce the duration of the infection

  3. Support healing and optimal recovery

  4. Reduce the chance of future infections

Natural gastro treatment for kids

A natural gastro treatment approach focuses on preventing dehydration and healing the digestive tract through nourishing whole foods. We also want to repopulate the gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria to help minimise symptoms and restore your child’s gut health.

Hydration

Babies and children are particularly at risk of becoming dehydrated during a bout of gastro due to reduced food and liquid intake. 

Dehydration can have serious complications if left untreated. If your child shows signs of confusion or your baby becomes flopping, seek emergency treatment. 

Hydration tips for babies and kids:

  • If breast or bottle feeding: offer more frequent and shorter feeds to increase their fluid intake and provide comfort.

  • Nutritious fluid options for toddlers and children:

  • Avoid Hydralyte products. If looking for a commercially made electrolyte, try Kinderlyte Kids Oral Electrolyte Solution Fruit Punch.

  • Spark interest by serving fluids in different bottles, cups or with fun straws.

  • Make flavoured icy poles or ice cubes:

  • Avoid juices and soft drinks (even flat lemonade - the old wive’s tale).

 

Is your child experience reoccuring gastro

Gastro can be a nasty infection leaving your child depleted and their digestive system damaged with an imbalanced gut microbiome. If your child is experiencing lengthy or reoccuring gastro, book a free call with the Nutrition For Kids’ practitioners. We’d love to help give you the strategies to address the problem and discuss how we can best support your child.

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Food to eat during a gastro outbreak 

Don't be surprised if your child is rejecting food. They will naturally reduce their food intake when they are experiencing symptoms of gastro. 

Instead, focus on fluids until they are ready to eat. Here are some tips once they are able to hold food down:

  • Opt for easy to digest and well-cooked foods:

    • Vegetable soups

    • Bone broth

    • Stewed apples

    • Cooked green bananas

    • Slow-cooked and mashed root vegetables

    • Cooked and cooked mashed potato

  • Avoid raw or fatty foods

  • Avoid foods made of refined sugars

  • Limit grains or gluten-containing food

Supplements for children during a gastro infection  

Probiotics can help restore the gut bacteria and reduce your child's nausea and diarrhoea. 

The most indicated probiotic strains for a gastro infection are Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Saccharomyces boulardii (SB).

Inner Health Gastro Relief is a suitable probiotic available at most chemists. 

We also recommend a selection of pracitioner-only probiotics for infants and children, particularly if the gastro is long-lasting or your child is experiencing reoccurring infections. 

When your child is able to consume foods, a good quality natural yoghurt or kefir in very small doses may be beneficial. 

Other supplements may be best administrated once the acute gastro symptoms have subsided.

Healing from gasto

Gastro symptoms can last up to a couple of weeks although vomiting should subside after about 3 days. 

Once the symptom severity has subsided, it's time to focus on healing your child's digestive system. Your child's gut microbiome has been disrupted and their intestinal lining will have sustained damage. 

Some children (and adults) can exhibit food intolerance or IBS type symptoms post a gastro infection due to dysfunction of the gut. 

Our priorities when healing from gastro include:

  • Restoring the "good" bacteria

  • Soothing the inflammation of the digestive tract

  • Repairing the intestinal lining

  • Preventing post-gastro food intolerances

  • Replenishing nutrients lost

Once your child is feeling well again, we then switch to optimising their health to help prevent future gastro infections. 

This process can involve probiotic and prebiotic support, herbal medicines, nutritional supplementation and dietary recommendations. 

Our nutritionist and naturopath team develop individualised gastro healing protocols depending on your child's symptoms and digestive health. 

 
 

AT NUTRITION FOR KIDS, WE’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT PROVIDING YOU AND YOUR CHILD WITH THE BEST LEVEL OF HOLISTIC HEALTH CARE.

We’ve brought together some of the leading health care practitioners to help support more families in their health journey.

Find out more about nutrition and naturopathy consultations here

 
 
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