Having food sensitivities doesn’t mean your child or young person needs to permanently avoid lots of foods.

Having a diet with lots of different types of food can help young people manage pelvic pain by supporting all the different types of bacteria in their gut.

A healthy gut helps:

• Support the immune system
• Reduce inflammation
• Improve bowel regularity
• Provide enough energy for school, sport and life
• Support the balance of hormones, or the chemical messengers in their body
• Maintain iron levels in the body
• Keep bones strong.

What is a food sensitivity?

A food sensitivity or an intolerance involves digestion. It’s different to a food allergy. Food allergies impact the immune system and should be avoided as they can be dangerous.

Food sensitivities are different. Some young people with pelvic pain find they have particular food sensitivities that can make their symptoms worse.

How do I know if my young person has a food sensitivity?

• They may tell you they feel bloated, uncomfortable or have runny poo after eating certain foods.
• They may notice these symptoms often happen after eating the same food.
• Their symptoms tend to be worse when they eat more of this food.

Food sensitivities often depend on how much of a particular food they eat. It means they might be able to eat a little bit of something but not a lot.

If your young person has a food sensitivity or intolerance, they probably don’t need to cut out foods for the rest of their life. In fact, cutting out certain foods can actually make things worse.

Instead, they may just need to manage their diet differently.

Common food sensitivities include:

• Lactose (found in dairy products like milk)
• Garlic and onions.

Remember, not everyone reacts to the same foods in the same way.

What can I do if I think my young person has a food sensitivity?

• Encourage them to track any patterns with their symptoms — it might be helpful to write these down.
• Try not to make too many changes to their diet all at once.
• Focus on the quantity of certain foods they’re eating. Instead of thinking “they can’t eat dairy,” think about different types or trying small amounts.
• Encourage them to eat regularly and try to build in foods that are high in fibre.
• Try swapping foods instead of cutting them out — for example, use a garlic infused oil instead of garlic.
• Rotate foods, rather than repeating them — it’s best to eat lots of different foods rather than the same thing every day.
• Stop thinking about food as all or nothing or good or bad. Instead of “this food makes them bloated, so it’s bad” try “this food sometimes increases their symptoms if they have a lot of it.”

Questions to ask before cutting out a particular food

• Are they eating regularly?
• Are they constipated?
• Are they eating too quickly?
• Are they drinking enough water?
• Are they stressed?

Support options

A dietitian is a specialist in food and nutrition and can help you understand how food and nutrition can influence your young person’s symptoms, energy, and overall wellbeing, without making eating feel complicated or limiting.

Your local doctor can provide a referral to a dietitian they know and recommend, or you can use the Dietitians Australia search to find someone in your area.

Disclaimer

This information is intended to support, not replace, advice from your doctor or healthcare professionals. It is general information only and may not apply to your individual circumstances. You should always check with your healthcare provider before making decisions about your care or starting, stopping or changing any treatment.

The authors of this consumer health information have made a considerable effort to ensure the information is accurate, up-to-date and easy to understand. The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Melbourne accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies, information perceived as misleading, or the success of any treatment regimen detailed in these handouts. Medical knowledge can change over time and the information contained in the handouts is updated regularly. Therefore you should always check you are referring to the most recent version of the handout. The onus is on you, the user, to ensure that you have downloaded the most up-to-date version of a consumer health information handout.

Developed by The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne Kids and Teens Pelvic Pain Clinical Network multidisciplinary team, supported by RCH services.

The Kids and Teens Pelvic Pain Clinical Network is supported by the Victorian Government.