‘Have You Got Worms?’ When Kids Couldn’t Sit Still its what our Grandparents asked.

Could Parasites Be Affecting Your Child’s Behaviour?

A Holistic Perspective on ADHD, Gut Health & Regulation

For generations, grandparents had a simple phrase when children couldn’t sit still “Have you got worms?” It sounds almost humorous now, yet the question held a deeper intuitive understanding to what is happening inside the body can influence behaviour outside of it.

Today, many children are diagnosed with attention and behavioural conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While genetics and neurological factors are often discussed, a growing holistic perspective asks another important question:

• We talk about brain chemistry.
• We talk about genetics.
• We talk about medication.

But rarely do we ask one simple question:

What is happening inside the child’s body? because inside the gut influences what we see in their behaviour.

The Gut–Brain Connection

Modern science increasingly recognises the powerful relationship between the digestive system and the brain is often called the gut–brain axis. Inside the gut lives a complex ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms. When this ecosystem becomes imbalanced, it can influence:

•Mood

•Energy levels

•Sleep patterns

•Emotional regulation

•Focus and concentration

Children who struggle to sit still, regulate impulses, or maintain attention may also experience underlying digestive stress.This doesn’t mean ADHD is “just in the gut.” But the gut may be one piece of a much larger puzzle.

There is growing scientific evidence that early nutrition and gut development influence brain development and may contribute to the risk or severity of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). During infancy and childhood, the gut microbiome develops alongside the nervous system, forming part of the gut–brain axis a communication network linking the gastrointestinal tract, immune system, and brain. Research shows that gut bacteria produce or regulate key neurotransmitters involved in attention and behaviour, including dopamine, serotonin, and GABA, which are often altered in ADHD.  

Studies have found that children with ADHD often show differences in gut microbiota composition compared with neurotypical children, including reduced levels of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, which are important for immune regulation, nutrient metabolism, and brain signalling.   Longitudinal research has also shown that the microbial profile of infants as early as one to six months of age can be associated with the likelihood of developing ADHD symptoms later in childhood, suggesting that gut development during early life may influence neurodevelopmental outcomes.  

Diet plays a major role in shaping this gut ecosystem. Dietary patterns high in ultra-processed foods, refined sugars, and low in fibre are associated with poorer microbial diversity and increased inflammation, while whole-food diets rich in vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats help support a balanced microbiome and optimal brain signalling.   While ADHD is influenced by many factors including genetics the emerging evidence suggests that nutrition and gut health during early development may be important modifiable factors that support healthier brain function and behavioural regulation.  

Parasites: The Forgotten Piece of the Conversation

Parasites are organisms that live in the digestive tract and feed off the host. Historically, they were far more commonly recognised in childhood health.

Parasites are often the forgotten factor in children’s health. These tiny organisms can live quietly inside the digestive system, feeding off the nutrients a child consumes and sometimes irritating the gut lining. Children are particularly susceptible because their immune systems are still developing. Common intestinal parasites such as Pinworm, Giardia lamblia, and Roundworm can enter the body through contaminated food, water, or hand-to-mouth contact. In many cases they live unnoticed, but they may contribute to digestive discomfort, nutrient depletion, disrupted sleep, and irritability. Because the gut plays such a significant role in immunity, nutrient absorption, and brain signalling, an imbalance caused by parasites can place additional stress on a child’s developing system, which is why maintaining strong hygiene, gut health, and a nutrient-dense diet is so important during the early years. 

Children are naturally exposed through:

•Pets and animals

•Swimming pools

•Shared toys and surfaces

•Food that is poorly chosen, prepared or processed. 

Some parasites can quietly live in the digestive system for long periods without obvious symptoms.

Possible signs can include:

•Restlessness or hyperactivity

•Poor sleep

•Grinding teeth at night

•Digestive discomfort

•Sugar cravings

•Irritability or emotional swings

While these symptoms can have many causes, in holistic health we consider the internal terrain of the body when looking at behaviour.

The Modern Food Environment which Looks Very Different

Children today grow up in a highly processed and convenience food environment where packaged is almost every meal compared to previous generations.

Early childhood food regime often include:

• ultra-processed baby formulas

• refined cereals

• packaged toddler snacks

• high sugar foods

• preservatives and additives

In previous generations baby to school age ate from their home garden, eating simple wholesome homemade food and rarely ate out. Children now eat processed food at a cafe from toddler or earlier and many parents have no idea what daycare centres are serving their child or from where it was produced. This ‘nutrition zone’ is imperative at this developmental stage.

These foods disrupt gut balance and reduce microbial diversity. These foods can disrupt the delicate ecosystem of microbes living in the digestive system. These early dietary patterns can influence more than just immediate health as they may shape a child’s metabolism, gut microbiome, and neurological development. Frequent exposure to highly processed foods and added sugars can increase inflammation, disrupt nutrient absorption, and even affect behavior and attention spans. Establishing nutrient-dense, whole-food habits during these formative years helps support immune resilience, cognitive function, and long-term wellness, laying a foundation for healthier food preferences into adolescence and adulthood. When the gut microbiome becomes imbalanced, it may influence inflammation, mood regulation and neurological development.

In simple terms: What children eat helps shape how their bodies and brains function.

Behaviour Is Often a Signal

When the digestive system becomes stressed early in life, it may influence how the nervous system develops and responds to stimulation. As parents, we are the ones responsible for fuelling our children’s bodies. Whether they “like” a food or not is often the consequence of our sales pitch the way we speak about food, the way we model eating it, and the choices we make when purchasing and preparing meals. Children learn through observation long before instruction. When they see us enjoying whole, nourishing foods and speaking about them with positivity and curiosity, those foods become normal rather than negotiable. Over time, our consistency as parents shapes their palate, their habits, and ultimately their relationship with food and their body.

Behaviour Is Not Just Behaviour

As a parent, teacher, or caregiver, it can be tempting to view behaviour purely as a discipline issue. But children’s bodies often communicate distress through behaviour.

• Restlessness.
• Emotional outbursts.
• Difficulty concentrating.

These can sometimes be the body asking for support.

In holistic practice, we ask:

•Is the child nourished?

•Is their nervous system regulated?

•Is their gut functioning well?

•Is their environment supporting calm and development?

A Holistic Approach to Supporting Children

Supporting children holistically means looking at the whole child. Some foundational supports include:

• Whole, nutrient-dense foods
• Limiting ultra-processed snacks and additives
• Encouraging outdoor play and grounding
• Supporting gut health and digestion
• Creating calm daily rhythms and routines
• Movement and nervous system regulation

For some families, working with holistic practitioners to explore digestive health, food sensitivities, or microbial balance is helpful.

Perhaps our grandparents weren’t entirely wrong to ask: “Have you got worms?” They understood something we are rediscovering today that the body and behaviour are deeply connected. When we begin looking beneath the surface of behaviour, we often find opportunities to support children in more compassionate and holistic ways. Sometimes, what appears to be a behavioural issue may actually be the body asking for care.

By Belinda Norton

Bioenergetic Educator; The Holistic Human Habit Strategist: Guiding families to reconnect body, behaviour, and wellbeing through movement, nutrition, and nervous system regulation.

With over 26 years as an educator, I bring a deeply informed perspective to children’s health, behaviour, and human performance. As a behaviour specialist and physical education teacher, I have spent decades observing how movement, nutrition, environment, and emotional wellbeing directly influence a child’s ability to focus, regulate emotions, and learn. I am also the author of Fit Mama, a Wellbeing Magazine editor for Fit & Flexible, a fitness expert contributor to Wellbeing Magazine, and a presenter with Wellbeing TV. My work bridges education, human performance, and holistic health, helping families understand that children’s behaviour, energy, and learning capacity are deeply connected to how we nourish, move, and support their developing bodies.