How does a childs digestive system work?
After the age of two to three years, a child’s digestive system works in much the same as an adult’s. Before then, children are not able to digest concentrated starches (like potatoes and grains) efficiently. The first phase of starch digestion takes place in the mouth. The starch digesting enzyme, ptyalin, is secreted into the saliva by the action of chewing, but as most children don’t chew properly until they have a full set of teeth, they don’t secret enough ptyalin to digest concentrated starches properly. It is therefore best for a baby to get the carbohydrates he needs from fresh and dried fruit, as these contain starches in their most simple, broken down form. If your toddler is eating starches, I would suggest that you give him the digestive enzyme he needs in capsule form. Prepzymes is one such product and is perfectly safe. It would, however, be far more sensible to wait until your child is ready before you introduce concentrated starches into his diet.
