Ever since starting Bodie on solid foods at 6 months he developed eczema ands flare ups would appear around his cheeks, ankles, around his knees, folds in his skin like the back of his knees and elbows.
Initially, I just thought it was a skin thing and did not think much of it. But it never left and seems to get itchier and more inflamed with time. One at a time, I started trying out A LOT of different creams recommended by numerous non-toxic mom friends. None worked for us.
I consulted with two pediatricians and both recommended Aveeno Eczema Therapy Lotion and 1% cortisone cream along with Claritin allergy drops. That worked for the first two weeks until his skin started having these dark red spots that looked like they got burnt.
We stopped with that care plan immediately.
Through that, I was starting to feel that something wasn’t right, beyond his skin despite our pediatrician telling us he would have to live with it forever and that it had nothing to do with his gut.
At 9 months, we tested his Gut Microbiome through an at home test from Tiny Health. A month later we got his results.
Bodie’s Tiny Health Gut Microbiome test results brought me to tears.. tears of JOY. I knew I was right.
I now get to see and understand the science going on inside my baby’s gut. AND they provided me with actionable results not to temporarily heal him with topical creams, but to get to the root cause.
Mainly his results showed that Bifidobacterium infantis was absent in his gut and was dominated by another bacteria, Bacteroides fragilis which could be the cause of excessive gut lining degradation.
He also lacks Acetate, a short-chain fatty acids which helps in efficiently digesting HMOs which makes up 1/3 my breastmilk. Acetate also promotes “a low pH in the gut, which discourages the growth of unfriendly microbes.”
All contributing to inflammatory conditions, and in Baby Bear’s case it showed up as eczema.
Not only has Tiny Health confirmed my intuition that Bodie’s eczema was more than a skin thing, but they have provided me with an unbiased plan of action and the tools to help me address the findings.
I know there could be worse conditions that Bodie could have, but as his mom it is so sad and heartbreaking to see him suffer from his flare ups.. and every now and then I feel guilt for not being able to take it away.
Because of these actionable results, we are now able to pick out the probiotics with the RIGHT bacteria needed to help restore our baby’s gut. Not all probiotics are the same. I had been giving him probiotics with a blend of different bacteria when Baby Bear only needed to add in B. infantis.
I just bought our new probiotics today, so stay tuned for an update!
I really hope this helps you find the answers you need for your baby!
I wish someone had educated me about the importance of understanding our gut microbiome before Baby Bear was born. I wish I knew about the “38 trillion tiny microbes that play an essential role in my immune development and overall health.” If you want to truly understand what is going on in your or your baby’s body, especially if outside symptoms have started to show, then getting your gut tested by Tiny Health is for you. Check out their page over here to get an even better understanding of them and how they differ from other testers.
Use Coupon Code MIKKA20 for $20 off your first test kit.
Tiny Health Research Edition:
- Your purchase of the Tiny Health Gut Test (Research Edition) will contribute to microbiome science and advance research in childhood allergies.
- This study is only open to people who have purchased Tiny Health baby gut tests.
- If you qualify, you will fill out surveys upon sampling and towards the end of the research period, as you’ll be a part of furthering allergy research.
- Processed in a CLIA-certified lab and using proprietary technology, Tiny Health’s gut test provides strain-level precision and a complete list of all microbes in the gut microbiome including bacteria, fungi, virus, parasites, and archaea. R
- Results will take 4-5 weeks to arrive.
DISCLAIMERS. This blog is solely an expression and documentation of MY journey as a new mom.
This blog contains an affiliate coupon code, which means that if you use it, I’ll receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you. This helps support the blog and allows me to help support my family too!
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