Gut Microbiome Test (Kids)
For the families dealing with chronic tummy pain, recurrent illness and off-school sick days, eczema and food reactions, or post-antibiotic recovery in their school-age kids. An at-home stool test that maps 130+ microbiome markers with age-banded paediatric reference ranges (3–17yo) — so you stop guessing what's driving your child's symptoms.
Is this test right for your child?
Tap any sign you've noticed in your school-age child or teen. Each one can trace back to imbalances in the gut microbiome — this test maps which organisms are driving the picture, with paediatric reference ranges for ages 3–17.
Recurring tummy pain, cramping, and IBS-like patterns in school-age kids often track back to dysbiosis — overgrown opportunistic species, depleted butyrate producers (Faecalibacterium), and low diversity. The test maps which organisms are driving the picture so the plan isn't guesswork.
Kids who catch every bug going through daycare or school often have a weakened gut–immune axis. Around 70% of immune cells live in the gut, and depleted beneficial flora reduces the body's ability to mount a normal response to common viruses and bacteria.
Each course of antibiotics can wipe out Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus for months and let opportunistic species expand. This test maps exactly what's been lost and what's overgrown after antibiotic exposure so rebuilding is targeted, not generic.
Childhood constipation is closely tied to the microbiome. Methanogenic archaea (Methanobrevibacter) slow transit, low short-chain fatty acid production reduces motility signalling, and a Firmicutes-dominant pattern can lock things in. The report flags all of these.
Persistent loose stools in kids are often driven by viral gastro pathogens (Adeno-, Astro-, Noro-, Rota-, Sapovirus), parasites picked up at daycare or on holiday, or opportunistic bacteria. This test screens directly for all of them so the cause is identified, not assumed.
Childhood eczema is tightly linked to the gut–skin axis. Low Bifidobacterium, low Lactobacillus, and elevated Proteobacteria are repeatedly associated with atopic flare-ups and food-driven skin reactions. The report shows all of these markers with paediatric reference ranges.
Reactivity to dairy, gluten, or specific foods often points to a compromised gut barrier. The report measures zonulin (intestinal permeability), Transglutaminase IgA (coeliac antibody screen), and the beneficial flora that maintain the gut lining.
The gut–brain axis is well established in paediatric research. Low butyrate producers, low diversity, and elevated LPS-producing organisms are linked to mood, anxiety, and behavioural changes via vagal nerve signalling and inflammatory cytokines.
Disturbed sleep in kids has microbiome connections — serotonin precursors are produced by gut bacteria and feed melatonin production. Dysbiosis and low diversity are increasingly associated with poor sleep quality and night-waking patterns.
Kids pick up parasites easily — daycare contact, post-travel exposure, swimming, sandpits. The test directly screens for Blastocystis, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Dientamoeba, Entamoeba, and helminths (worms) including pinworm, roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm, and whipworm.
Not sure if this test is right for your child?
Answer a few quick questions and our patient care team will respond within 24 hours with personalised guidance — no obligation, no sales pitch.
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How it works
From your couch to the lab and back — four simple steps, no GP visit needed. Designed for parents supervising sample collection from a school-age child (3–17). Your child's microbiome report arrives in 7–10 business days.
What's inside your child's report
Your child's 12-page paediatric microbiome report covers macroscopic findings, GIT functional markers (incl. PE-1, calprotectin, sIgA, zonulin, Steatocrit, Transglutaminase IgA), short-chain fatty acids, six phyla with diversity indices and ratios, parasites/worms/viruses, bacterial pathogens with full H. pylori virulence and resistance profiling, sixteen fungal species, and 33+ beneficial flora and probiotics — 130+ markers in total, every one with quantitative results, age-banded paediatric reference ranges (3–17yo), and clinical commentary on every flagged finding.
| Test | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stool Colour | Brown | ||
| Stool Form | Semiformed | ||
| Mucous | Absent | ||
| Occult Blood | Negative | ||
Macroscopic findings are recorded by the lab on receipt and combined with the molecular data on the report. The mini phyla snapshot above mirrors the larger Phyla & Diversity tab.
| Marker | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calprotectin | <5.0 | OK | (<50.0) µg/g |
| β-Glucuronidase | 3033 | OK | (300–7000) U/g |
| Pancreatic Elastase 1 (PE-1) | 370 | OK | (>200) µg/g |
| Stool pH | 7.1 | OK | (6.0–7.5) |
| Secretory IgA | 1374 | OK | (350–2000) ng/mL |
| Steatocrit | 2.0 | OK | (<10.0) % |
| Transglutaminase IgA | 1.0 | OK | (<100.0) µg/g |
| Zonulin | 54 | OK | (<130) ng/mL |
| Function | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ammonia / Urease Production | 0.2110 | OK | (<0.5000) % |
| Histamine Production | 0.0990 | OK | (<1.0000) % |
| Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) Production | 1.0157 | OK | (<5.0000) % |
| Sulphate Production | 0.4050 | OK | (<3.0000) % |
Includes the two paediatric-specific markers — Steatocrit (fat malabsorption) and Transglutaminase IgA (coeliac antibody screen) — alongside the standard digestive function panel. All reference ranges are age-banded for ages 3–17.
| Short-Chain Fatty Acid | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total SCFA — Beneficial | 73.5 | OK | (>12.0) µmol/g |
| Acetate | 68.30 | OK | (45.00–75.00) % |
| Butyrate | 10.80 | OK | (6.00–30.00) % |
| Propionate | 18.90 | OK | (0.00–30.00) % |
| Valerate | 2.00 | OK | (0.50–6.00) % |
SCFAs are the energy currency of the colon and the most actionable readout of fibre fermentation. Butyrate is the keystone short-chain fatty acid for gut barrier integrity — and the marker most often depleted after antibiotic exposure in school-age kids.
| Phylum | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actinobacteria | 0.089 | L | (0.100–11.000) % |
| Bacteroidetes | 22.256 | OK | (21.000–60.000) % |
| Euryarchaeota | 0.028 | H | (<0.020) % |
| Firmicutes | 71.552 | OK | (38.000–75.000) % |
| Proteobacteria | 6.063 | H | (0.200–6.000) % |
| Verrucomicrobia | 0.093 | OK | (0.010–4.000) % |
| Index | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon Diversity Index | 4.51 | H | (2.60–4.35) |
| Simpson Diversity Index | 0.97 | OK | (0.85–0.98) |
| Ratio | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes | 3.21 | OK | (<3.50) |
| F. nucleatum / F. prausnitzii | N/A | (<1.50) | |
| Gram-Positive / Gram-Negative | 0.16 | OK | (<2.00) |
| Prevotella / Bacteroides | N/A | (<0.70) | |
| Proteobacteria / Actinobacteria | 67.87 | H | (<14.00) |
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blastocystis hominis | 941.00 | H | (<1.00) ×10⁵ org/g |
| Cryptosporidium species | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Cyclospora cayetanensis | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Dientamoeba fragilis | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Entamoeba histolytica | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Enterocytozoon species | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Giardia intestinalis | <DL | (<1.00) |
| Subtype | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Subtype 1 | Negative | ||
| Subtype 2 | POSITIVE | ||
| Subtypes 3–9 | All Negative | ||
| Organism | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancylostoma species (Hookworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Ascaris species (Roundworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Enterobius vermicularis (Pinworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Hymenolepis spp. (Tapeworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Necator americanus (Hookworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Strongyloides spp. | Not Detected | ||
| Taenia species (Tapeworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Trichuris trichiura (Whipworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Virus | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Adenovirus 40/41 | Not Detected | ||
| Astrovirus (hAstro) | Not Detected | ||
| Norovirus GI/II | Not Detected | ||
| Rotavirus A | Not Detected | ||
| Sapovirus (I, II, IV, V) | Not Detected | ||
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aeromonas species | <DL | (<1.00) ×10³ CFU/g | |
| Campylobacter species | <DL | (<1.00) ×10⁵ CFU/g | |
| C. difficile, Toxin A | <DL | (<1.00) ×10⁴ CFU/g | |
| C. difficile, Toxin B | <DL | (<1.00) ×10⁴ CFU/g | |
| C. difficile, Hypervirulent | <DL | (<1.00) ×10³ CFU/g | |
| Enteroaggregative E. coli | <DL | (<1.00) ×10³ CFU/g | |
| Enteropathogenic E. coli | 0.78 | (<1.00) ×10³ CFU/g | |
| E. coli O157 | <DL | (<1.00) ×10² CFU/g | |
| Enteroinvasive E. coli / Shigella | <DL | (<1.00) ×10³ CFU/g | |
| Enterotoxigenic E. coli LT/ST | <DL | (<1.00) ×10⁵ CFU/g | |
| Salmonella species | <DL | (<1.00) ×10⁵ CFU/g | |
| Shiga toxigenic E. coli (stx1/2) | <DL | (<1.00) ×10³ CFU/g | |
| Vibrio species | <DL | (<1.00) ×10⁴ CFU/g | |
| Yersinia species | <DL | (<1.00) ×10⁵ CFU/g | |
| Helicobacter pylori | <DL | (<1.00) ×10³ CFU/g |
| Test | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| H. pylori Antigen | Negative | ||
| Fungal Species (16 total) | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candida albicans | <DL | (<1.00) ×10⁵ CFU/g | |
| Candida dubliniensis | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Candida famata | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Candida glabrata | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Candida guilliermondii | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Candida intermedia | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Candida kefyr | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Candida krusei | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Candida tropicalis | 1.10 | H | (<1.00) ×10⁵ CFU/g |
| Geotrichum species | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Rhodotorula species | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Saccharomyces cerevisiae | <DL | (<1.00) |
Full panel screens 16 fungal species — 13 Candida species plus Geotrichum, Rhodotorula and Saccharomyces. In school-age kids, Candida overgrowth often follows antibiotic courses and may present as oral thrush, recurrent skin issues, or persistent gut symptoms.
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akkermansia muciniphila | 0.012 | OK | (0.010–4.000) % |
| Faecalibacterium prausnitzii | 5.130 | OK | (2.000–16.000) % |
| Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron | 0.092 | (<4.000) % | |
| Bacteroides uniformis | 0.437 | (<8.500) % |
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIFIDOBACTERIUM TOTAL | 0.011 | OK | (0.010–11.000) % |
| B. adolescentis | <DL | (<5.000) % | |
| B. animalis | 0.011 | (<0.500) % | |
| B. bifidum | <DL | (<5.000) % | |
| B. breve | <DL | (<5.000) % | |
| B. longum | <DL | (<7.000) % |
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| LACTOBACILLUS TOTAL | 0.0020 | (<1.5000) % | |
| L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. reuteri… | All <DL or trace | ||
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pediococcus acidilactici | <DL | (<0.060) % | |
| Roseburia hominis | 0.024 | OK | (0.010–0.500) % |
| Roseburia inulinivorans | 0.065 | OK | (0.010–1.400) % |
| Lactococcus lactis | 0.007 | (<0.020) % | |
| Streptococcus thermophilus | 0.045 | (<0.500) % |
Full panel quantifies 33+ beneficial organisms including Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, the Bifidobacterium family (total + 6 species), the Lactobacillus family (total + 13 species), Roseburia, Pediococcus, Clostridium butyricum, Lactococcus, and Oxalobacter formigenes. In school-age kids, low Faecalibacterium and depleted butyrate producers are the most actionable clinical signals — often flagged after antibiotic courses or in chronic GI complaints.
Everything parents ask about kids' gut testing
Answers to the questions we hear most from parents considering the Paediatric Biome test for their school-age child or teenager.
Book a free discovery call or email us at hello@themicrobiomeclinic.com.au
Yes. The test is completely non-invasive — there is no blood, no needles, and nothing introduced into your child's body. You (or an older child) collect a small stool sample at home using the toilet collection scoop and stabiliser tube provided. The sample is then analysed at NutriPATH, our NATA-accredited Australian pathology partner (accreditation #20770).
The kit includes a flushable paper collection sheet that sits across the toilet bowl, a small collection scoop, and a stabiliser tube. After your child does a normal bowel motion, transfer a portion (about the size of a pea) into the tube using the scoop, seal it, label it, and post it back in the pre-paid Australia Post satchel. Plain-English instructions designed for parents supervising the process are included with every kit. The whole thing takes under five minutes.
The Paediatric Biome panel is designed for children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years. Reference ranges are age-banded across that window, so results are interpreted against what's normal for a school-age or teenage gut — not against infant or adult values. For children under 3, the Baby Biome test is the right fit. For 18 and over, see the adult Gut Microbiome Test.
Yes — and that's often exactly the picture parents want to see. If your child has recently been on antibiotics (a very common reason families test), the report will show what's been wiped out, what's overgrown in the aftermath, and which beneficial flora need rebuilding — so recovery can be targeted rather than a guessing game. If you'd like a baseline microbiome snapshot instead of a post-antibiotic picture, we recommend waiting at least 4 weeks after the last dose before sampling.
Absolutely. The instructions are written so an older child or teen can follow them independently if they prefer privacy — many 12+ kids do the collection themselves. For younger school-age children, parent supervision is the norm. Either way, only the parent or guardian needs to fill in the patient details form at checkout.
You'll receive a comprehensive PDF report covering 130+ markers across 11 categories: phyla composition and diversity indices, beneficial bacteria and probiotics (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium and more), parasites and worms, viral gastro pathogens (Adeno-, Astro-, Noro-, Rota-, Sapovirus), Candida and other fungi, bacterial pathogens, full H. pylori virulence and resistance profiling, GIT functional markers (PE-1, β-glucuronidase, calprotectin, zonulin, sIgA, Steatocrit, Transglutaminase IgA), and short-chain fatty acids. Every marker is shown with your child's result, an age-banded paediatric reference range (3–17yo), a flag (low/normal/high), and clinical commentary explaining what it means.
Results are typically ready in 7–10 business days from when the lab receives your child's sample. You'll be notified by email as soon as the report is available.
No referral is needed — you can order directly as a parent. The report is a NATA-accredited pathology document (accreditation #20770) and can be shared with your child's paediatrician, GP, or specialist. If you'd like the report interpreted into a personalised plan, you can book a follow-up consultation with a Microbiome Doctor™ at The Microbiome Clinic™ — they'll translate the lab data into next steps that take your child's symptoms, history, and diet into account.