Mold symptoms in kids
It Started with a Rash and Nightmares…
When Jessica brought her 9-year-old son Liam into our clinic, she was at her wit’s end. He’d developed a persistent rash on his torso, was waking every night from terrifying nightmares, and seemed to always be tired. Doctors had run allergy panels, checked for strep, even referred him to a child psychologist. But no one could explain the sudden change in her once vibrant, energetic child.
What finally helped Jessica and Liam was a deeper look into their environment. Hidden behind the drywall of their finished basement was a significant mold problem. The symptoms Liam had weren’t just a simple mold allergy—they were signs of a deeper issue known as Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). And he wasn’t alone.
Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Mold Symptoms in Kids
Mold is often dismissed as an irritant or allergen, but for many children (24% are genetically susceptible to develop this illness), exposure can trigger a complex immune reaction known as CIRS. This isn’t just about sneezing or watery eyes. CIRS is a chronic, biotoxin-induced illness that can affect nearly every system in the body—and it’s often misdiagnosed in kids.
At Flourish Clinic, we regularly see families like Sarah’s who have been chasing diagnoses for months or even years. Pediatricians may attribute the symptoms to behavioral disorders, autoimmune conditions, or chronic fatigue, when the root cause is environmental.
In this blog, we’ll uncover three important mold symptoms in kids to watch for—and why they might be a sign of something more serious.
Symptom #1: Persistent Fatigue and Brain Fog
“He just doesn’t seem like himself anymore.”
This is one of the most common phrases we hear from parents. Kids with CIRS often experience:
- Trouble waking up in the morning
- Low energy throughout the day
- Difficulty focusing in school
- A decline in academic performance
Unlike typical childhood fatigue, which comes and goes, this kind is persistent and unrelenting. It doesn’t improve with rest, and it often leads to mood swings, irritability, or withdrawal.
A study published on Surviving Mold showed that visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) testing and symptom clusters could accurately identify children suffering from CIRS. Fatigue and cognitive changes were two of the most telling symptoms.
Symptom #2: Skin Rashes and Unexplained Inflammation
In Liam’s case, the rash was one of the first visible signs. Parents often describe:
- Red, itchy, or blotchy skin
- Eczema-like patches that resist treatment
- Puffiness around the eyes or face
These symptoms are a result of an overactive immune system responding to mold toxins (mycotoxins). In CIRS, the body’s immune response becomes dysregulated, causing inflammation in tissues that aren’t directly exposed to the mold itself.
What makes this especially difficult is that antihistamines and steroids typically don’t help. That’s because the inflammation isn’t caused by histamine release but rather by cytokine and immune dysregulation—hallmarks of CIRS.
Symptom #3: Behavioral and Emotional Changes
It can be heartbreaking to see your child transform from happy and engaged to withdrawn, anxious, or angry. Many of our CIRS patients under the age of 18 show signs like:
- Nightmares or sleep disturbances
- Heightened anxiety
- Mood swings or depression
- Sensory sensitivity (to light, sound, or touch)
In many cases, these symptoms lead to misdiagnoses: ADHD, oppositional defiance, or generalized anxiety disorder. But without identifying the environmental trigger, treatment often fails.
When Liam’s environment was remediated and he began proper CIRS treatment, not only did his rash fade, but the nightmares stopped. His teachers even noted he was more focused and cheerful in class.
CIRS vs. Mold Allergy: What’s the Difference?
A mold allergy typically triggers a histamine-based response: sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes. It’s usually seasonal or tied to visible mold. Mold allergies are an IgE mediated response. Meaning that your adaptive immune system is reacting to the mold. This will generally be diagnosed by an allergist.
CIRS is different. It’s a multi-system inflammatory illness caused by chronic exposure to biotoxins. For genetically susceptible children (about 24% of the population), their immune system doesn’t effectively eliminate these toxins. Instead, the inflammation spirals out of control. CIRS is an illness of the innate (not the adaptive) immune system and has little to do with allergies.
This leads to long-term issues in the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems—including poor memory, growth delays, hormonal imbalance, and immune dysfunction.
At Flourish Clinic, we use the Shoemaker Protocol to properly diagnose and treat CIRS. Our experience shows that children, when correctly diagnosed, often respond remarkably well to early intervention.
How Is CIRS Diagnosed in Kids?
The Surviving Mold study cited above proposed a pediatric-specific approach to diagnosing CIRS:
- Symptom Clusters
- If your child is less than 11 years old, CIRS may parade as single system illness such as chronic headaches, recurrent abdominal discomfort or chronic fatigue, persistent bedwetting after 6 years of age, prolonged “growing pains” or inattention.
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In children < 11 years, the diagnosis of CIRS was made if 6 or more clusters received a point. In older patients, 8 or more points constituted the diagnosis.
- VCS Testing: A non-invasive eye test shown to have high sensitivity in identifying neuroinflammatory illness.
- Lab Work: Markers like TGF-beta1, MMP-9, C4a, and MSH can reveal immune dysregulation.
Ideally, we combine symptoms with lab work to confirm the diagnosis of CIRS.
What You Can Do Next
If your child shows any of the symptoms described here, especially in combination, don’t wait. Mold-related illness is often progressive, and the earlier it’s identified, the easier it is to reverse.
Here are some immediate next steps:
- Evaluate your home: If your child’s symptoms began after a move, renovation, or flood, consider testing for mold.
- Take a VCS test: This article explains how a simple visual contrast sensitivity test can uncover hidden biotoxin illness.
- Book a discovery call: At Flourish Clinic, we specialize in pediatric and adult CIRS diagnosis and recovery.
Final Thoughts
Mold symptoms in kids can be easy to miss or mislabel. But if you know what to watch for—fatigue, rashes, mood changes—you can start asking the right questions.
Trust your gut. If you know something is off with your child and traditional explanations don’t fit, there may be an environmental cause. And that cause might be CIRS.
Have you noticed any of these mold symptoms in your child? What steps have you taken so far? Let us know in the comments or reach out to see how we can help.
