Does My Child Have A Yeast Overgrowth?
What is a Yeast Overgrowth?
A yeast overgrowth (or candidiasis) is in reference to a bacterial imbalance down in the gut (or lower intestine). It is actually something that is quite common and easily proliferated by the standard American diet and medical prescriptions used today.
The most common yeast is called Candida Albicans and actually exists in the intestinal tract of every human being. It shares a home there with the healthier microorganisms and bacteria, called probiotics. Health challenges arise when the bacterial balance is thrown off and the candida growth is not kept in check. Usually this is triggered by the overuse or misuse of prescription antibiotics and/or steroids.
If this overdevelopment continues, then it can lead to what’s called a “leaky gut.” The Candida Albicans can actually eat holes through the lining of the lower intestine, allowing toxins to re-enter the bloodstream and wreak havoc in other parts of the body.
The Candida Growth Cycle
Children are naturally born with a leaky gut which exists up until about six months of age. This is why pediatricians will recommend holding off on giving certain foods too early (ie. foods that could introduce potential allergens into their system). Their digestive and detoxification systems are still developing.
Common Symptoms of Yeast Overgrowth (Candidiasis) in Kids:
- Frequent ear infections
- Inability to concentrate
- Allergy symptoms (environmental or food-related)
- Weight gain and/or obesity
- Low energy
- Craving sweets/breads/pasta
- Use of prescribed antibiotics and/or steroids
- frequent infections and/or illness
- Eczema/skin issues
- Food sensitivities
The above list is not exhaustive, and not all symptoms need to be present to have a candida issue. However, if even a handful of symptoms are present in your kids, it is worth taking a closer look.
What’s A Parent To Do?
Certainly, an overgrowth of candida is not something that you just “wait out” or hope that it will go away on it’s own. Candida albicans will only continue to grow out of control if not specifically targeted for a length of time.
We have a specific anti-candida program–put together by a certified nutritionist–that we use with families to help their kids get back in balance. Coincidentally, when the balance in the bacteria is restored, the health symptoms typically subside and go away.
An anti-candida nutritional program is not one that you should attempt on your own. It is most effective when someone with experience can walk alongside you and guide you in what to do next.
If you suspect that your child has an issue with candida, the next step is to contact us right away. We will be able to help guide you so that you see results quickly.
35 Comments
Michelle E. · November 13, 2014 at 8:00 pm
My 18 old has had 5 yeast infection still birth please help
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · November 21, 2014 at 2:57 am
Hi Michelle, I am assuming you mean “18 month old”? That is indeed a lot of yeast issues in a short amount of time. There are several easy things that can be done at this age to help turn the health issues around. If you would like to chat further about what to do for your child, please contact me with a personal message through our site. I will get back to you right away! Thanks for your comment!
Nichole · May 15, 2015 at 7:29 am
My 11 month old has a gastro bug in feb. And has had problems since. Diarreah-4 non solid large bowl movements a day since February. Reacuring diaper rash a small one under her armpit that won’t go away. Fussy and angry most of the day. Screams when put to bed wakes up screaming multiple times a night for a week now. Woke up with mucus in her stool this morning. Could her intestines be messed from that bug and never healed resulting in yeast overgrowth? Been to Drs twice now suspecting lactose intolerance. Don’t know what to do. Something is wrong she’s in pain and sick all the time now.
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · May 19, 2015 at 1:38 am
Hi Nichole, thanks for your message and question. I can’t say for sure if it is a yeast overgrowth, but it definitely sounds like some lingering issues going on. The great thing about the natural nutrition approach (even with very young ones) is that you can always try several things and not be concerned about side effects. Nutritional support only always helps. I love that. In your daughter’s case, there are several natural things you could try that could have a very positive effect at helping give her some digestive/intestinal support. The main one would be Shaklee’s Optiflora system–this is, without question, one of the most powerful and effective intestinal support products I’ve seen. I would start her on a double dose for about a week to see if the situation improves. You can get the product here from our site: http://provennutritionforkids.myshaklee.com/us/en/shop/healthysolutions/digestive/product-_p_optiflora_p_
Stacey · October 26, 2015 at 9:59 am
Hi there, I have two children who at the age of six months a milk alongside other common food allergies came along fast and strong. As I was breastfeeding these foods had to be completely wiped out of my diet. Now 18 months and 3 are still very sensitive to anything dairy and have flare ups of eczema! What would you recommend? I use only natural/herbal remedies. do you have any recommendations?
Pam · November 16, 2015 at 3:08 pm
I am having some issues with my now 1 year old today. I have some questions about giving him the shaklee.
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · November 16, 2015 at 5:20 pm
Hi Pam, Yes, feel free to either email me or send a question through our comment form. I’d be happy to help you if I can!
nicole p · January 22, 2016 at 1:49 am
My son is chronically sick has eczema food allergies to name a few things no diaper rash or anything like that that would suggest a yeast infection that area he has had thrush he is almost 2 years old what are some things I could do help with overgrowth of yeast in his gut he’s also very picky eater and unfortunately eat a lot of carbs
Maryam · September 2, 2016 at 3:06 am
Hi I’m contacting about my son I believe he has a yeast overgrowth he climbs on things and stays in the fridge looking for juice or anything sweet. I want to heal him from this because it’s stopping his learning and now he is showing autism like behavior also wanted to mention he has frequent ear infections and had to take antibiotics for ten days shortly after stimming began
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · September 2, 2016 at 4:18 am
Yes, a yeast overgrowth can wreak havoc in the body and “present” itself as numerous seemingly unrelated issues. It does sound as though he may be struggling with an imbalance in his gut. If you check out our Kids’ Symptom Assessment, this is truly the best tool to use to get a more specific starting place and guidance on what to do to help him. Thanks for your comment!
ALI ALI · September 4, 2016 at 5:44 pm
Hello Mariam and Bonnie
You said your kid shows autism behavior,, so how sure you are he is not autistic and how you tell the different between his behavior and autism behavior? the reason for my questions is my kid develop some behaviors and i can’t tell the different.
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · October 15, 2016 at 9:11 pm
A great point and question. Here is a website that gives some great info on Autism and how to tell if your child is exhibiting those specific behaviors: https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/symptoms
nandutu R · February 3, 2017 at 11:21 pm
My 5yr old kid coplains of stomach ache, headache , joints pain doctor says it is rheumatoid arthritis but all medication has failed he is still in pain, could n’t this be a symptom of candida over growth because before I gave birth to him I had candida overgrowth which I realized after giving birth to what should I do to help him?
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · February 7, 2017 at 1:31 pm
Hi Nandutu,
Candida can indeed present itself in a variety of symptoms and can look different from person to person. Giving him a solid foundation of natural nutrition supplements can indeed help, whether he has candida or not. The body can begin to heal itself once it gets an influx of solid nutrients and vitamins. My suggested starting place would be Shaklee’s Incredivites and their Optiflora probiotic–both given daily. You can view and order these products here. If you are in India, check back soon as we are working on getting these products available for our numerous India-based families.
Trish · April 29, 2017 at 9:05 am
I have a 6 year old that has had stomach pain since september of 2016, he has super hyperactive and has a hard time sitting still. He has started getting allergy symptoms and craves starchy chips and sweets. He has been going through all kinds of tests, like upper GI’s, scope procedures and blood test which have all come back normal. Could a yeast overgrowth cause sever stomach pain .
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · May 1, 2017 at 12:15 pm
Hi Trish, Thanks for your comment and question. Anytime there is digestive pain, the digestive system needs healing and a “reset” in order to get back to normal. A candida overgrowth can cause numerous systems, including pain, and can present very differently in each person (with some commonalities). Digestive nutritional support would definitely be needed in your son’s situation, and it is a program that could look very similar to an anti-candida program. I do provide one on one coaching and support, so if you’d like to take that next step to getting healing for your son and some good guidance, please contact me. bonnie@provennutritionforkids.com
Taneshia · June 4, 2017 at 5:12 pm
Hi
I have a 5yr old daughter who does have Eczema (not very noticeable) and she does itch however I feel like her itching may be due to yeast in her gut. She mentions that her “private” or butt sometimes itches (although it looks perfectly fine each check-no rash or redness…nothing) and just random places might itch, I really don’t think it’s due to the Eczema…she does have a very very irregular diet and I think this is the reason for her itchy symptoms. How do you really determine if there is yeast in the gut? I also have heard different things for kids will work…Does “Colostrum Chewables” or “Custom Probiotics 1” work at all? I would hate to buy random items and waste the money without any results of improvement. What do you think about this…Yeast possibly??
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · June 6, 2017 at 8:19 pm
Hi Taneshia, There are several ways to determine if yeast is in the gut…One is more definitive than the other. You can perform a Candida saliva test which is easily done at home, though the results can not always be super clear especially if the yeast issue is fairly new or “young.” It can be an indicator though. The other option is to find a doctor who will perform a candida test–either a stool analysis or blood test, etc. This can be costly and also may not have definitive results. The best alternative to either of those is to see how your daughter feels, evaluate all her symptoms and then take a natural nutrition approach that is proven to help her feel better. I know this may not be the simply answer you’re looking for, but each child exhibits various symptoms and in different ways. Our online Kids Symptom Assessment would be an affordable option to at least see what she may be needing to help her most effectively. You can find that here: http://provennutritionforkids.com/kids-symptom-assessment-fp/
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · June 6, 2017 at 8:20 pm
Oh, and FYI…all of our products comes with a 100% money-back guarantee, so if you don’t see results, you get your money back!
KiranJit Sasan · July 14, 2017 at 1:36 am
my 7 yrs old son complain abt stomach ache everyday after dinner before bed time.. got some testing done in jan candida albicans was moderate high… could it be yeast infection pls help .. doctors don’t knw what’s going on!!
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · July 17, 2017 at 11:38 am
Yes, it very well could be a yeast overgrowth/imbalance. This is not uncommon when stomach pain comes after meals. I have a wonderful (and effective) program that families have used for candida overgrowth. If you would like more information about this, you can contact me directly by email and I’d be happy to give you a call. bonnie@provennutritionforkids.com
Annie · October 17, 2017 at 1:11 pm
Hi my son is 6 years old and has excema since he was two years old after being put on antibiotics. He has had several other antibiotics as well (at the time didn’t know they were bad for you) now he complains about stomach aches. We see an holistic doctor who doesn’t think we need to change his diet and gives him antifungal. What should we do?
Michelle Pratt · October 23, 2017 at 12:46 pm
Hi there, We are parents with concern, but not sure who to tern to. The internet is great, but some information is conflicting, and seeing a nature path is expensive. Our youngest daughter is 12 1/2. For the last few years she has cried and complained about her tummy area, and some times a little lower in her intestinal spot hurting. She seems to be in pain every single day. She wakes up in pain and goes to bed with pain. Some mornings she will wake up in tears, not wanting to go to school because she is in pain. Her lowest pain is around a 2 which is tolerable for her. She will get up to eat before school and many mornings, only eats a few bites and can’t eat anymore because the pain has spiked. She isn’t over weight, she doesn’t eat much and is a thin little girl. Not deathly thin, but at one time a Dr did say she was a bit underweight. This problem with pain has been going on for years. Our Dr did an allergy test on her and the results were negative. We are thinking of a scope to see whats going on, but haven’t gotten that far. She likes things like chips, juice, soda, pastries… which cakes, pastries and sodas we don’t have in the house. I don’t even bake. I’m on my own heal journey with being diagnosed with Hoshimoto’s disease, leaky gut, and yeast myself. Anyway, I read, that yeast build up in children can cause learning disabilities and she struggles with reading comprehension and math. We are actually paying to have her in a private school, to get her caught up. I’m wondering if our two teenagers, who don’t live at home anymore, have a candida problem because they were so difficult to raise. But for now, We need to get the youngest one some help. I have a Paleo cookbook I just bought for autoimmune. I suppose I should buy a cookbook for ridding yeast as well and start trying to use that for my family. Are they all good books or are there particular candida cookbooks? What are your thoughts to help our little girl with her chronic belly pain? She has a BM every 3 days, but its not constipated. She will order a salad when we go out and does eat salads at home when we have them. She like vegetables as well. She is starting to get a patch of dry skin on her nose and a couple pimples and her hair is always oily. I figure that’s because of her hormones changing. She has not yet started her cycle.
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · March 9, 2018 at 9:54 am
Hey Michelle, There are definitely some key nutritional pieces that you can add to her daily program that will address intestinal upset very effectively…AND these also help balance out any possible Candida issues. Every child’s needs are different, so I can’t recommend a specific program unless we chat by phone first. That gives you an opportunity to ask follow-up questions as well. If you are still in need of some intervention, please contact me at bonnie@provennutritionforkids.com, and we can set up a time to chat. Thank you for reaching out!
Talida Fodorean · April 24, 2018 at 1:51 pm
Hi Michelle,
I have the same problem with my daughter. She is complaining about tummy ache and headache. She is also very skinny and she doe not want to eat because her tummy hurts. Any luck to get rid of the yeast? I think my daughter might have yeast infection according to the doctor. I have being struggling for months to find out what she has. Any help is appreciated since I am desperate.
thank you,
talida
Laura · December 1, 2019 at 6:40 pm
Have you tested her for celiac? My daughter had very similar symptoms and she came positive for celiac. She is doing so much better since we stopped the gluten 100% as well as any gluten cross contamination. Celiac test is different than an allergy test.
good luck
Laura
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · December 2, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Thank you for giving your feedback, Laura! This is a great insight. I’m glad you found something that is helping your daughter.
Celiac and gut imbalances often go hand-in-hand. Makes me wonder if the gut imbalances are corrected effectively first, would these little ones even test positive for celiacs? My sister in law and her two kids are in this boat…gut imbalances and compromised immune systems for years, and now they all have celiacs.
Talida E Fodorean · December 2, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Thank you Laura. What test do you do for celiac?
Farhana Boodhoo · March 5, 2018 at 6:58 pm
Hello. My son is 5 year old and it’s been the third time he has got yeast allergy and this time it’s a lot , all over his face and body . He got 3 injection today, I don’t know what is giving him yeast allergy..
Bonnie | ProvenNutritionForKids · March 5, 2018 at 7:02 pm
Hi Farhana,
Thank you for your comment and sharing your experience. I’m so sorry your son is battling this. It can become a vicious cycle if nothing is done to kill the yeast and keep it from coming back. But be encouraged…It CAN be reversed!
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