Why are so many kids today experiencing gut issues?
The way I look at it is our current environment is not conducive to building a healthy gut microbiome. Two environmental difference being: C-section births and inability to breastfeed.
C-section births are much higher than they used to be. I understand this must be done in some emergency situations, but the current 32% rate (nationally) is too high in my opinion. To compare, in 1970, the rate was 5%. Going through the birth canal will give the baby its first exposure to good bacteria, helping build a strong gut microbiome.
A mother’s inability to breastfeed may be on the rise too. Whether the baby isn’t latching, is colicky, or the mother isn’t able to produce milk. Breastfeeding allows the mother to pass on antibodies to help with the baby’s vulnerable immune system early on as well as help produce a healthy gut microbiome.
But the biggest difference I see with kids today is their bodies are in a very stressed out state. They are in what I call a “gas pedal mode” (hyper-sympathetic response). This can most commonly be thought of as your fight or flight response. This not only affects their ability to concentrate, sit still, and critically think. But it also affects where their body is sending blood and oxygen.
When you’re in a gas pedal mode, you are sending your precious resources, blood, and oxygen to your muscles. Think of if you were in a fight or flight state because a bear was chasing you. You would want your extra resources and oxygen to go to your muscles to fight or run from the bear. But what if there’s not actually a bear? What if you’re chronically in this mode for no reason? Well, then your body is needlessly wasting resources and energy through your muscles.
Where should the resources, blood, and oxygen be going instead? To your internal organs and gut! How does that happen? By getting out of the chronic gas pedal mode and more into a brake pedal mode where healing, digestion, and development can take place in the gut.
This is what we focus on in our office. We have state of the art technology that measures whether you or your child is in a gas or brake pedal state. We use a technique focusing on Functional Correction as opposed to traditional chiropractic that excels in taking kids from gas pedal to brake pedal. Please call the office at 402 504 4676 to set up a complimentary phone or office consultation to learn more and to see where your child is on the gas/brake pedal pendulum.
