Children often complain of tummy problems (minor gastrointestinal disturbances), which may be easily rectified with some homeopathy, herbal teas or drops and a few other home remedies.

Some common childhood tummy disturbances are:

• Bloating
• Gas
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Acid reflux
• Pain
• Vomiting
• Rotavirus
• Viral infections
• Bacterial infections
• Food poisoning
• Anxiety
• Stomach flu

Here are a few tips for caring for your child’s tummy problems naturally:

• Probiotics provide healthy microflora which can crowd out unwanted pathogens causing any disturbances in the digestive tract.
• Digestive enzymes are important to help digest food properly, especially when food allergies are present.
  • Papaya and pineapple have natural enzymes.
• Betaine hydrochloric acid is the digestive acid that the stomach naturally produces to digest your food; please work with a knowledgeable practitioner about this).
• Zinc is an important mineral that helps heal and support the gastrointestinal system.
• Chamomile tea is a natural anti-inflammatory and sedative helping to calm the stomach down.
• Ginger tea helps stop nausea, and neutralize stomach acids and is anti-inflammatory.
• Peppermint tea helps with digestion, relaxes stomach muscles and eases pain.
• Rock salt heated up and rolled in a towel can take away stomach cramping.
• Homeopathy (Hyland’s is a good brand for children) can help with:
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Bloating
  • Gas
  • Stomach flu
  • Acid reflux
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal discomfort and pain
• Herbs and homeopathy can help with viral and bacterial infections:
  • Echinacea
  • Goldenseal
  • Anti-viral and anti-bacterial homeopathics
  • Olive leaf extract
  • Oregano oil
  • Colloidal silver
• Herb packs heated up in the microwave are soothing to the tummy.
• Give electrolytes to avoid any dehydration issues from vomiting and stomach flu.

What to Do About Chronic Tummy Problems

Chronic pain after eating certain foods may be an indication of food sensitivities or food allergies.

Your child may also have an underlying gastrointestinal disorder such as:

• Celiac
• Colitis
• Crohn’s disease
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

If your child experiences chronic tummy problems, we recommend working with a knowledgeable, integrative health practitioner such as a naturopath or a functional medicine doctor who can get to the root of your child’s chronic pain.

Your child may be experiencing gut dysbiosis, in which there is an imbalance of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, yeasts and/or parasites.

If this is the case, your practitioner will likely recommend special supplements as well as a gut-healing diet such as the Body Ecology Diet, Paleo diet or Gut And Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet.

Please note that most gastroenterologists are not well-versed about gut dysbiosis and the microbiome, which is why we recommend that you work with a naturopath or a functional medicine doctor.

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