From Concern to Confidence: Helping Parents Navigate Food Intolerances

Parents, did you know that food intolerance affects up to 20% of the population, as reported by “Medical News Today"? It's not just limited to gluten and dairy intolerance anymore. Wheat, barley, milk, cheese, bananas, avocados and more can all be culprits. Is your child included in this 20%?  

Food intolerances can manifest differently in children, and the symptoms can vary in severity. If you are a parent whose child has a food intolerance and you’ve watched them suffer from bloating, upset stomachs, constipation, behavioral changes, eczema, sleep issues, or migraines, this is for you. 

We want to delve into the world of food intolerances and empower you to take charge and manage your child's struggles. If you've tried elimination diets and supplements without success, we are here to help. Let's explore the root causes, focusing on the incredible vagus nerve, which plays a significant role in your child’s brain-gut communication.

Understanding Food Intolerance

Food intolerance, sometimes referred to as food sensitivity, occurs when the digestive system has difficulty breaking down certain foods. The gut becomes sensitive to specific foods and struggles to tolerate them. When a child with a food intolerance consumes these problematic foods, they may experience uncomfortable symptoms such as gas, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

The traditional medical approach to food intolerances often attributes them to insufficient enzyme production in the digestive system. However, this explanation fails to address the underlying reasons behind the biochemical reactions to certain foods. Furthermore, you may have gotten a referral to a gastroenterologist that led to eliminating problematic foods, which can be helpful by alleviating the symptoms…but difficult in today’s world to do for your child, and it completely misses the root cause. We need to understand why your child’s gut and digestive system are so sensitive and impacted.

Vagus Nerve Dysfunction

To truly comprehend the root cause of your child’s food intolerance, we must examine the communication between the brain and gut, which is driven by the vagus nerve. This massive sensory nerve extends from the brainstem to the digestive system, with various stops in between. The vagus nerve can play a crucial role in many of your child’s health challenges, especially digestive issues.

Moreover, due to the strong connection between the gut and the brain through the vagus nerve, food intolerances can have negative effects on your child's sleep, behavior, emotions and mood regulation - which further intensifies this struggle for you and your child. 

The Impact of Birth Trauma

When we start to dig deeper, we may find that in your child’s case, some sort of birth trauma, such as prolonged labor, forceps, vacuum, or C-section, may have played a role. Any of these types of interventions can cause physical trauma leading to subluxation and a stress response in the nervous system. Specifically, the upper neck and brainstem region, where the vagus nerve originates and communicates from, can be affected.

This imbalance in the vagus nerve can adversely impact the gut's functioning, leading to problems with absorption, digestion, and elimination of foods and toxins.

Altered signaling to the gut can result in increased inflammation and susceptibility to common foods, transforming minor sensitivities into full-blown intolerances. This also explains why your child who struggles with food intolerances may have started with reflux, colic, or immune issues like ear infections or asthma.

The Role of Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care

As Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractors, we believe in starting at the very beginning and providing a personalized care plan to each child’s unique needs. So, if your child is struggling with food intolerance and cannot consume certain foods, please seek guidance from a neurologically focused, trained Pediatric Chiropractor in our PX Docs network. 

They will delve into your child's case history and identify the exact triggers and root causes using an innovative technology called INSiGHT scans. These scans help locate subluxations within your child's nervous system, providing valuable information to determine the necessary adjustments to restore your child's nervous system to its full potential.

Ready to get to the root cause? Click the button below to get started!