MANY children are fussy eaters, but Jayden Lockyer had more reason than most. Almost from the time he was born, the three-year-old suffered from severe constipation.

He was a fussy eater and often threw up after food. He also had constant tummy ache and would sometimes vomit from the effort of straining to go to the loo.

His parents, Sarah and Gary Freeman, tried suppositories, but they did not make much difference. "It was really bad. We would give him warm baths to ease his discomfort, but he would become very listless due to the toxins in his body," recalled Sarah, of Boscombe in Bournemouth.

"If children start to find it's painful when they go, they try and stop themselves. Jayden used to hide under the table. It wasn't until he was finally referred to a consultant that the problem became apparent."

The specialist said Jayden had a six-week build-up of cement-like waste in his intestine and bowel. He took Jayden off the suppositories and prescribed a liquid laxative.

"He said that the bowel had been stretched and become lazy due to the excess pressure from the faeces, and would need to be retrained to work properly," said Sarah.

The condition is surprisingly common in children, especially if they are picky eaters, and the doctor recommended that the little boy should eat lots of fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of fluids.

The laxative meant Jayden was unable to control his bowels, so he could not be taken swimming. "We had to put off the toilet training. At one point we were told he might be six or seven before we could toilet train him," said Sarah. "It has been distressing as a family seeing him in so much pain."

A colleague of Sarah's recommended a product called Bimuno, created by a team of scientists at Reading University as the result of a seven-year research study.

The powder increases the immunity-boosting "good" bacteria in the gut and reduces harmful bacteria, helping to prevent common gut problems such as diarrhoea, bloating and constipation.

Sarah started sprinkling half a sachet on Jayden's cereal every morning. "Three weeks after starting to take Bimuno, we had an appointment with the consultant. He examined Jayden and confirmed that the build-up in his stomach had gone," said Sarah.

"We had tried lots of different laxatives before, but nothing was working. Jayden has now been taking Bimuno for six months. He is regular and has no pain when he goes to the toilet. He is a lot happier and is eating a lot better."

Jayden is also out of nappies at last. "Bimuno has made a significant change to his life," said Sarah. "He can now join in all the same activities as his friends. As a mum, it is a big relief to finally find something that has worked."

Professor Glenn Gibson explained: "The gut controls around 60 per cent of our immune function and influences health, so we neglect it at our peril. This research takes gut health on to a new level by delivering a product that works with our natural systems."