Anxiety in Children

Honestly, this is one of the most common presentations I see in clinic (in children). Whether it's anxiety related to school, life in general, or one of the causes we'll discuss today. It can be the most heartwrenching for parents, as they don't know what to do to help and can feel guilt for something that's absolutely not their fault. Often, I see this in children who appear with ADD/ADHD or Austism as well, though they may not be diagnosed. Let's explore some of the contributing factors that can exaggerate or bring on feelings of anxiety in children.

First off, anxiety can present differently in each child - including trouble sleeping, using comfort items or behaviours, explosive emotions, irritation/anger, and more obvious signs of fear and worry; as well as physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or stomachaches. A lot of the time anxious children have issues moving their bowels in places that aren't home, and this can absolutely contribute to poor gut health or resorbtion of toxins, only worsening anxiety.

There are four possible causes to explore (among others) that can cause or contribute to anxiety in kids.

1. Pyrrole disorder

2. Poor gut health/ food intolerances

3. High heavy metals

4. Trauma

Pyrroles Disorder

Pyrrole disorder is a genetic blood disorder that results in a dramatic deficiency of zinc, B6 and arachidonic acid (a long-chain omega-6 fat) as the snip causes those nutrients to be excreted more rapidly. It is also known by pyroluria, kryptopyrroles and Mauve factor.

It can make your child’s body inefficient at producing serotonin and GABA — meaning they are more susceptible to suffering the physiological effects of stress. It's not a commonly discussed condition and I haven't heard a GP mention it once, but it's rampant among people with mental health disorders. As high as 1 in 10 children. That means that in a typical class of 25 to 30 kids, two or three will be struggling with Pyrrole and won’t be learning or behaving well. Some of the linked conditions include:

• ADHD

• Autism/ASD

• Downs syndrome

• Schizophrenia

• Alcohol and/or drug dependence

• Bipolar disorder

• Sensory issues such as sensory processing disorder

5 things to look out for if you suspect your child may have Pyrrole Disorder

Pyrrole presents itself differently among different age groups, but here are a my top 5 symptoms to look for:

1. Emotional mood swings and anxiety, e.g. trantrums and impulsive behaviour

2. Difficulty coping with stress, brain fog, tummy troubles

3. Sensitivity to light and sound

4. Pale skin that doesn’t tan and burns easily, bumpy skin on upper arms

5. White spots on nails - linked to zinc deficiency

The quickest and easiest way to find out if your child has Pyrrole is to call us and book in for a simple urine test. This is worth working with a practitioner as supplementation of zinc and B6 in children can be tricky and the dose is really important. At home, it's best practice to start the, on an anti-inflammatory diet (see this one) and rule out sensitivities to additives and preservatives from their diet, as well as gluten, dairy and processed sugar. Someone with pyrrole disorder may not need to take supplements forever. But many will need to use them on and off, particularly during stressful times.

Poor Gut Health or Food Intolerances

This, fortunately, has been well established. Increasingly, research has indicated that gut microbiota – the trillions of microorganisms in the gut which perform important functions in the immune system and metabolism by providing essential inflammatory mediators, nutrients and vitamins – can help regulate brain function through something called the “gut-brain axis.” The gut and the brain are connected via the vagus nerve. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected. But, more than that - the gut microbiome is a deeper connection regarding the production of neurotransmitters (like calming GABA and happy Serotonin).

It's not always the traditional Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium phylums that are required too. Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Escherichia can synthesize serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, however Bifidobacterium strains were mostly responsibly for GABA production. Using probiotics with these families might not be enough though, some of the specific strains can be helpful.

Overall, 11 of the 21 studies using probiotics showed a positive effect on anxiety symptoms by regulating intestinal microbiota, meaning that more than half (52%) of the studies showed this approach to be effective, although some studies that had used this approach did not find it worked.

Of the 14 studies that had used probiotics as the intervention, more than a third (36%) found them to be effective in reducing anxiety symptoms, while six of the remaining seven studies that had used non-probiotics as interventions found those to be effective - a 86% rate of effectiveness.

In those studies only using interventions to regulate intestinal microbiota, 80% were effective when using non-probiotic interventions, while only 45% were found to be effective when using probiotic ways.

Regarding food intolerances - symptoms related to IgG reactions can often be manifested as chronic issues like joint ache, IBS and depression or anxiety, which are often overlooked and not associated with what we eat.

Dietary interventions using probiotic and prebiotics foods have a more powerful and longlasting effect than just using probiotics, however the combination of both can really help speed up the process. A multi-strain Lactobacillus/Bifidobacterium probiotic blend has been the most researched for its ability to decrease symptoms of anxiety. You may want to read this blog and this blog for more info on prebiotic foods.

High Heavy Metals

Heavy metals are very hard to be metabolized by the human body and that is the main reason of their toxicity. Heavy metals bind with cellular elements like structural proteins, nucleic acids and enzymes and can affect their functioning. They can enter the body in lower concentrations and deposit in certain parts or organs of the body. Overall, long-term exposure to heavy metals can be carcinogenic. Other effects include circulatory and nervous system effects. High heavy metals is also quite common, considering the tap water can often contain lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. A plethora of studies, indeed, has declared the existence of a relationship between exposure to heavy metals and mood disorders. Similarly, various studies that have diagnosed patients with depression and panic attacks disorders showed an excess of some metals concentration such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb). Preschool aged children are more sensitive to heavy metals also, as there are significant blood amino acid changes that affect neurobehaviour. These processes involve links between the hippocampus and the amygdale in the brain, and the main involved pathways, which the links are specifically made by a set of monoamine neurotransmitters, mainly dopamine and serotonin 5- hydroxytriptamine (5-HT).

These can be assessed via a hair mineral analysis, but you may like to read more here. Working with a practitioner to bind the heavy metals (chelation) and support detoxification pathways is recommended.

Trauma

Now, this should be self explanatory, but trauma doesn't just go away when people stop talking about it. Trauma can hide in organs or muscles and come back as health issues or knots. Accumulation of early life stress also increased the levels of late-adulthood anxiety symptoms and the risk of anxiety regarded as clinically significant. Many children and adolescents are exposed to different types of trauma, e.g. abuse or various disasters. Trauma can cause severe and long-term impairment and consequences, the most studied of which are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD symptoms (PTSS). If this area contributes, I highly recommend working with practitioners and psychiatrisits.

This blog doesn't go through all the causes of anxiety and is not meant to be used for diagnosis or treatment. I hope this has given you some insight or new ventures to consider for your child with anxiety. As I said, I often see these presentations, and a lot of ADHD behavioural traits that are caused by one or more of the above health pressures. Children are still quite open and sensitive to treatment, so we typically start slow and work with the parents to determine what potential aspects of a treatment plan will work best for their family. If you'd like to explore one of these options or an appointment - please see this page. I'd love to meet you!