Can children have IBS?

Written and provided by one of our talented team of experts – Annabel Sparrow

Sponsored by PrecisionBiotics®

Here at The Gut Stuff, we believe it’s never too early to start looking after your gut. In fact, did you know, the composition of your gut microbiome is established in early life? (1,2) Various factors including how you give birth, breastfeeding, where you live, your nutrition, and your environment (e.g. whether or not you have a pet) all have an impact (27,28,29,30).

Research suggests that the early years of life is a busy time for the gut microbiome. This is reflective of the different phases of microbiome progression during these years: developmental (3-14 months), transitional (15-30 months) and stable (31-46 months). It has been demonstrated that the development of the microbiome stabilises around the age of three years. (1,2)   

We now know the diversity of microbial species in the gut = a healthy gut (3,4). The good news is we all have lots of lifestyle tools in our armoury that will have a positive effect on our gut microbiome composition. These include consistently consuming plant-based foods such as fruits, veggies, wholegrains and more (5), how we move our bodies, even where we live and where we choose to travel.  

Sounds easy enough right? But what if those tiny guts aren’t feeling too great?

IBS in children 

You may have heard of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS for short), but what actually is it, and can children get it? In short, yes. IBS is a long term condition that affects your digestive system, a diagnosis is provided based on individual symptoms and when no other diseases are detected (8,9,10). In recent times, IBS has been identified as a disorder of the gut-brain interaction (DGBI for short) (11). Common symptoms of IBS in children include tummy pain which is associated with changes in the frequency or form of their poos. 

Ok, so children can experience IBS, but how common is it? Unfortunately, around 1 in 6 children of secondary school age report IBS-like symptoms. Young children may not be able to accurately describe their symptoms, which makes it harder to identify IBS (26).  Similarly to the experience of those in adulthood, IBS in children can be linked to reduced quality of life, low mood, anxiety, as well as missed school and missed work for caregivers. Unfortunately, both the psychosocial and gastrointestinal symptoms can persist into adulthood (12,13). 

What causes this and what can we do about it?

In both children and adults, what causes IBS is not completely understood, however different mechanisms have been suggested regarding the development of IBS (14). These include genetics, environment and psychosocial disturbances (4). Diet is also attributed, however the exact relationship is yet to be determined (15). There may also be a relationship between early life conditions and IBS however we need more research to confirm this (15).   

What does this mean? Research has shown the gut microbiome of children with IBS looks different to those without (16,17,18). But don’t despair, this is not all doom and gloom. There are plenty of lifestyle changes you can make that may help to manage and improve symptoms for those little guts, these include: 

• Mindful eating: not just what you eat but how you eat can impact symptoms, make sure your little one isn’t sat in front of a screen or other distractions, and focus on chewing – LOTS! (32)
• Diet: of course what you eat in some cases can trigger or worsen symptoms. Make sure you work with a healthcare professional when looking at diet to manage this appropriately. (33)
• Clothing: avoid too tight waistbands around those little tums which can lead to uncomfortable bloating, especially around mealtimes. (34)
• Sleep: getting plenty of Zzs in is key, as this is when your body rests and rebuilds, so quality sleep is important.(31)
• Probiotics: research has shown specific strains of probiotics can be beneficial in children with IBS (19,20), including to improve symptoms like constipation, diarrhoea and tummy pain (7,21). (34)

 

References 

1. Stewart CJ, Ajami NJ, O’Brien JL, et al. Temporal development of the gut microbiome in early childhood from the TEDDY study. Nature. 2018;562(7728):583-8
2. Stewart CJ, Ajami NJ, O’Brien JL, et al. Temporal development of the gut microbiome in early childhood from the TEDDY study. Nature. 2018;562(7728):583-8
3. Marchesi JR, Adams DH, Fava F, et al. The gut microbiota and host health: a new clinical frontier. Gut. 2016;65(2):330-9.
4. Thursby E and Juge N. Introduction to the human gut microbiota. Biochemical Journal. 2017;474(11):1823-36.
5. Leeming ER, Johnson AJ, Spector TD, et al. Effect of Diet on the Gut Microbiota: Rethinking Intervention Duration. Nutrients. 2019;11(12).
6. Szajewska H, Berni Canani R, Domellöf M, et al. Probiotics for the Management of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disorders: Position Paper of the ESPGHAN Special Interest Group on Gut Microbiota and Modifications. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition. 2023;76(2):232-47.
7. Cruchet S, Furnes R, Maruy A, et al. The use of probiotics in pediatric gastroenterology: a review of the literature and recommendations by Latin-American experts. Paediatric Drugs. 2015;17(3):199-216.
8. Black CJ and Ford AC. Global burden of irritable bowel syndrome: trends, predictions and risk factors. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2020;17(8):473-86.
9. Quigley EM, Fried M, Gwee KA, et al. World Gastroenterology Organisation Global Guidelines Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Global Perspective Update September 2015. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 2016;50(9):704-13.
10. Schmulson MJ and Drossman DA. What Is New in Rome IV. Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. 2017;23(2):151-63
11. Hyams JS, Di Lorenzo C, Saps M, et al. Functional Disorders: Children and Adolescents. Gastroenterology. 2016;S0016-5085(16)00181-5
12. Giorgio V, Margiotta G, Stella G, et al. Intestinal Permeability in Children with Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: The Effects of Diet. Nutrients. 2022;14(8):1578
13. Vernon-Roberts A, Alexander I and Day AS. Systematic Review of Pediatric Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (Rome IV Criteria). Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2021;10(21):5087.
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19. Guarner F, Sanders M, Szajewska H, et al. World Gastroenterology Organisation Global Guidelines – Probiotics and prebiotics: World Gastroenterology Organisation. 2023. [Online] Available from: https://www.worldgastroenterology.org/guidelines/probiotics-and-prebiotics/probiotics-andprebiotics-english. (Accessed 05.07.2024)
20. Szajewska H, Berni Canani R, Domellöf M, et al. Probiotics for the Management of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disorders: Position Paper of the ESPGHAN Special Interest Group on Gut Microbiota and Modifications. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition. 2023;76(2):232-47
21. Wallace C, Gordon M, Sinopoulou V and Akobeng AK. Probiotics for management of functional abdominal pain disorders in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2023;2(2):Cd012849.
22. Cruchet Muñoz S, Verbeke Palma S, Lera Marqués L et al. Effects of Bifidobacterium longum 35624 in Children and Adolescents with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Nutrients. 2024;16(12):1967.
23. Hoy-Schulz YE, Jannat K, Roberts T, et al. Safety and acceptability of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis 35624 in Bangladeshi infants: a phase I randomized clinical trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2016;16:44.
24. Whorwell PJ, Altringer L, Morel J, et al. Efficacy of an encapsulated probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 in women with irritable bowel syndrome. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2006;101(7):1581-90.
25. O’Mahony L, McCarthy J, Kelly P, et al. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in irritable bowel syndrome: symptom responses and relationship to cytokine profiles. Gastroenterology. 2005;128(3):541-51.
26. Chaku S. BUPA. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – Symptoms and causes. 2023. [Online] Available from: https://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/digestive-gut-health/irritable-bowel-syndrome#:~:text=It%27s%20also%20possible%20for%20children,it%20harder%20to%20identify%20IBS.
27. Shao Y, Forster S, Tsaliki E, et al. Stunted microbiota and opportunistic pathogen colonization in caesarean-section birth. Nature. 2019; 574: 117-121. 
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29. Hesselmar B, Hicke-Roberts A, Lundell A, et al. pet-keeping in early life reduces the risk of allergy in a dose-dependent fashion. PLOS ONE. 13(12), e0208472. 
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31. Smith R, Easson C, Lyle S, et al. Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans. Plos one. 2019. 14 (10), e0222394.
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34. Crohns and colitis. Gas and Bloating. 2019. [Online] Available from: https://crohnsandcolitis.ca/About-Crohn-s-Colitis/IBD-Journey/Symptom-Management/Gas-and-Bloating.