Gastrointestinal symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal issues?

• Constipation

Your child might be constipated if they pass less than 3 stools a week, stools are hard and difficult to pass, stools might be like 'pellets' or rabbit droppings. 

They might have a poor appetite or abdominal pain which improves once they open their bowels. 

Your child might also get 'overflow diarrhoea' where more runny stools might leak out around the hard stools.

• Diarrhoea

This is when your child has loose or watery stools, urgency to go to the toilet which might lead to them soiling themselves. 

• Abdominal pain or cramps

Which might be associated with going to the toilet. 

• Needing to go to the toilet frequently

For example needing to go to the toilet more than 3 times a day or straight after eating. 

• Your child might have acute diarrhoea which might be caused by an infection.

If diarrhoea has persisted for longer than a few days you may need to look into this further to rule out any underlying conditions such as Coeliac Disease or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. They might have a food intolerance or food allergy.

• Reflux

This is when a baby or child might spit up or vomit after feeding. It is often also accompanied with abdominal pain which might cause your baby to arch their back, pull their legs up and cry/be very unsettled in the hours after feeding. 

This can be common in young babies because the ring of muscle at the base of the oesophagus has not matured yet. Symptoms can therefore get better in time but some children have symptoms which persist and need intervention.

I can support you with evidence-based and practical advice on how to overcome these symptoms. 

Your child might have difficulties with feeding as a result of these symptoms, for example poor appetite, food or milk refusal or even poor growth. I can also provide advice and guidance on how to manage these issues.