Here’s a playful experiment that you can do with your child to check how healthy their bowels are and teach them how long it takes for their food to turn into poo.
Did you know that you can actually get a measure of your child’s gut health with ‘the sweetcorn test” – a simple at home experiment? Here is a playful game which can help your child to learn about how their body works and even give you an idea of whether their bowels are healthy!
The sweetcorn test
Although we digest the endosperm inside, the outer husk of a sweetcorn kernel is made mostly of cellulose, which doesn’t break down after we eat it. It passes through the intestines and into the bowel, creating the phenomenon of whole chunks of corn appearing in your poo! This means you can use this sort of food to find out whether your child is passing poo within the normal time range.
Bowel transit time
If your child has optimal bowel health, they should be doing 1-3 soft poos each day. When we think about soft poo, the ideal consistency is type 4 on the stool chart (see below). Whilst it may be normal for children to poo less than daily, this is not optimal.
The length of time it takes the body to turn food into poo is called ‘bowel transit time’. On average, with children, it’s believed that this should be less than 36 hours. Of course, there are other factors that may impact bowel transit time and it’s not an exact science, but research shows somewhere between 12-36 hours is ideal in children (n.b its slightly different for adults).
How to check your child’s transit time using the sweetcorn test
To prepare for this experiment, you will need to avoid giving your child any sweetcorn to eat for 7 days. This way, you will be able to accurately demonstrate how long it takes for sweetcorn to travel from their mouth to the toilet. Don’t eat any more corn after the initial portion either, otherwise it may confuse the results.
Encourage your child to eat around a handful of sweetcorn. They may be interested in the experiment so of course you an also explain what will happen! Remind them to check their poo before they flush.
How long did it take?
Under 12 hours
Your child could have diarrhoea – see below
Between 12 and 36 hours
Your child’s bowels are very likely to be healthy – keep up the good habits!
Over 36 hours
Your child could be constipated – see below.
The chart below is a good guide to show you how your child’s poo should look.
If the results suggest diarrhoea
If your child has been unwell with a diarrhoea causing illness, this may explain the faster transit time. Sometimes, a fast transit time can indicate further assessment is needed to rule out food allergies and intolerances, anxiety, celiac disease or chronic nonspecific diarrhoea. (also known as toddler diarrhoea). If you’re worried about your child or they have other symptoms you cant explain relating to their digestion, seek advice from a trusted health professional.
If the results suggest Constipation
If you think your child might be constipated, it’s always good to seek advice from a trusted health professional. In the UK, all children with suspected constipation should be seen by a GP or specialist nurse who can help assess your child’s symptoms and provide appropriate advice. You can also sign up for instant access to my free constipation course using the form below. This will help you understand how constipation affects the body and how to resolve it gently according to clinical guidelines.
Nurse Rebecca Mottram is an advocate for Baby Pottying and a potty training expert. She is the author of two books; The Baby Pottying Guide and Positively Potty, the host of the Go Potty Podcast and founder of the Little Bunny Bear shop. If you are trying to resolve a potty problem, you can explore Rebecca’s free resources, join her Facebook group or request a private consultation.