Just like when introducing new foods (strawberries, peanuts, etc.) parents should monitor for any sensitivity reactions.
In the formal feasibility study:
- Absence seizures were experienced by two children, which stopped when they ceased taking the supplement.
- Multiple parents reported minor rashes (red spots on trunk) which went away without intervention within a few days.
- In infants the improvement in bowel function and increased appetite also came with an increase in dirty diapers and a greater risk of diaper rash.
- Multiple parents also reported mood swings which they later determined were associated with being hungry; parents were encouraged to offer healthy, nutritious snacks even if they were previously unused to having hungry children.
This may not be an appropriate intervention for children with a history of seizures; parents whose children have these conditions need to be especially vigilant as changes in weight/increased growth may impact the efficacy of medications.
Long-term use of laxative solutions containing Polyethylene Glycol 3350 (such as Miralax) is known to hinder absorption of micronutrients, and therefore children in a deficiency state should not use it regularly.