How the Gut Microbiome Impacts Kids’ Mental Health | Episode 75 with Dr. Elisa Song

Dr. Elisa Song is an integrative pediatrician and the author of Healthy Kids, Happy Kids, and she joins us to break down how the gut microbiome shapes children’s physical, immune, and mental health. We dig into what the gut microbiome actually is, why it plays such a powerful role in brain development and emotional regulation, and how common childhood exposures—like antibiotics, antacids, ultra-processed foods, stress, and environmental toxins—can disrupt this delicate system. Dr. Song also emphasizes an important and hopeful message: the gut is resilient, and it is never too late to support repair and healing.We also explore the gut–brain connection through the lens of the vagus nerve and nervous system regulation, unpacking how chronic stress can keep both kids and parents stuck in fight-or-flight mode. Dr. Song connects these concepts to neuroinflammatory conditions like PANS and PANDAS, helping explain how immune activation, gut dysfunction, and nervous system imbalance intersect. Throughout the conversation, we focus on practical understanding, root causes, and the importance of caring for caregivers, too, because supporting children’s health starts with supporting the whole system.If you’re interested in learning more about Dr. Song’s work, you can visit her website, https://healthykidshappykids.com/, for additional information and resources. To follow more of Dr. Song's work, you can find her on Instagram @healthykids_happykids. Join Dr. Lauren LaRose, psychiatrist and mom of three, as she brings on experts in mental health, physical health and education and explores ideas outside the traditional medical model. The Little Brain Campaign aims to make issues kids and caregivers face easier to understand, while always keeping in mind that we need to look beyond the usual answers to find what really works.Follow The Little Brain CampaignInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebraincampaign