Gut Health and Child Behaviour: How Addressing Imbalances Helped Lotte Thrive

Understanding the Link Between Child Gut Health and Behaviour

Many parents come to me because they’ve noticed a connection between their child’s gut symptoms and their behaviour — a link that’s becoming increasingly recognised. Lotte’s story is a gentle example of how supporting child gut health and behaviour together can help a child feel more settled, calmer and more comfortable in themselves.

Lotte's Symptoms: Tummy Pain, Anxiety and Emotional Outbursts

Lotte's parents initially came to me because of her gut symptoms - rectal bleeding, urgency and frequent tummy discomfort. But what worried them just as much was the change in her emotional wellbeing.

Lotte had become more anxious, prone to sudden tears or frustration, and was having intense outbursts her parents didn't recognise as her usual self. They described it as "walking on eggshells" - not knowing what might set her off, and feeling unsure how to support her.

Her parents instinctively felt there was a connection between her gut symptoms and her behaviour, but didn't know what to look for or where to start.

Assessing Gut Health Through Functional Testing

To understand what was driving Lotte’s symptoms, we used two simple tests:

• a stool test to look for infections and gut imbalance

• an organic acids test (OAT), a urine test that shows metabolic and microbial patterns

  
  

These revealed:

• C. difficile overgrowth

• significant yeast imbalance

• low beneficial bacteria

• signs of microbial activity affecting her mood and energy

These results helped explain the intensity of her emotional swings as well as the digestive symptoms.

Our Child-Friendly Approach

Lotte was only 12, so everything we did was gentle, simple and age-appropriate:

1. Calming irritation and supporting gut lining.

   Using age-appropriate nutrients and herbs to reduce infection and irritation, and to support her gut to repair and rebuild.

2. Rebalancing her microbiome

   Supporting beneficial bacteria through a balance of prebiotic foods and some probiotics, helped stabilise both digestion and mood regulation.

3. Simple, manageable food swaps

   We made practical adjustments to Lotte's diet, replacing the bread and biscuits that she constantly craved as snacks, with alternatives to help stabilise her gut and reduce the internal "rollercoaster" that was driving her mood swings. Lotte quickly adjusted to these changes and soon started to help mum in the kitchen to make lunches at the weekend too.

4. Helping her nervous system settle

   Lotte enjoyed her new bed-time routines and the short exercises before eating. As Lotte's digestion improved, her discomfort reduced and her emotional stability naturally improved.

The Changes We Saw Over the Coming Months

Within a week, Lotte's bleeding had stopped. Over the next few months:

• calprotectin returned to normal

• tummy pain eased

• her mood became steadier

• big emotional outbursts reduced significantly

• she became less anxious and more settled

• she was able to go back to school full time

As Lotte's digestion settled and her microbiome became more balanced, we saw clear improvements in both her tummy symptoms and emotional regulation - highlighting how closely child gut health and behaviour can interact.

Her teachers later commented that she seemed happier, more settled and that she was making new friends.

Her parents said the biggest change was "getting our little girl back" - calm, bright, and able to enjoy her days again.

Reflections from the Family

Lotte's parents shared that understanding why she had been struggling helped them feel calmer and more in control:

"Once we knew what was going on in her gut, everything finally made sense. The changes were gentle and doable, and watching her become herself again has been amazing."

I had the pleasure of supporting Lotte and her parents for 7 months on the Restore programme. Lotte was also under the care of her paediatric gastroenterologist throughout.

A Note for Parents

Not every child with anxiety or behaviour change has gut inflammation - but for some children, especially those with digestive symptoms or IBD, the connection is real and important.

Understanding what's happening beneath the surface often helps the whole picture make sense.

If you're seeing similar patterns in your child, you're not alone - and there is always a way forward.

***

Case studies are shared with parent's consent and represent what has helped these families. Each child’s situation is unique, so results will vary. This work supports - and does not replace - medical advice. A stock image has been used to protect Lotte's privacy.