Case Study – Gut Health Skin Connection in Babies

This is a real story about the Gut Health Skin Connection in Babies. I have been meaning to write since last year. I have wanted to share this with you, the names are fictitious and the photos are real.

I was first contacted by Sarah back in January 2022. Sarah had not long given birth to her twin boys but was in a terrible state as one of her twin boys was unwell from birth. She explained that he was suffering with chronic eczema and had been so for 8 months. Sarah had been to and fro with the doctors, dermatologists and into the hospital to help her poor baby but the advice from medical professionals was topical treatment, mostly steroids for a small baby.

I asked Sarah vital questions about her birth.

How were Sarah’s babies born? My babies were born by c-section.

When babies are born by c-section, there is some evidence to support that they lack certain microbes in their gut, as the baby does not pass down the vaginal canal. It is important to remember that the immune system of a human starts way before they are even born. The womb is where babies first start to develop their immune system which develops from what the mother is doing in her environment such as what she eats, drinks and places she visits. Also, if any pharmaceutical drugs are taken during this time. When a baby is born naturally, the baby is exposed to the microbes of the vaginal canal and then out into the world. When a baby is born via c-section, they are exposed to a clinical environment one that is sterile and free of microbes. This might sound good, but unfortunately there are many beneficial microbes that the baby misses out on.

Did Sarah’s unwell baby have antibiotics at birth? Yes, he did.

Antibiotics at birth are common in babies who are born via c-section. It could be argued that a sterile environment for birth, means that babies are not exposed to beneficial microbes that help to form in the gut microbiome from a young age. A baby’s immune defence is already low, but then not having the correct balance of microbes in the gut means that a baby is higher at risk of developing infection. This is why antibiotics are given at birth, often to save a baby’s life. Whilst antibiotics are vital in this situation, health professionals should be advising about the issues in the gut when a baby has antibiotics from birth.

Antibiotics kill off bacteria. They cannot differentiate between harmful and beneficial bacteria; they simply kill off all bacteria in the location of infection. Antibiotics are renowned to impact on the balance of the gut microbiome. This leads to a major problem in the health of a baby’s gut because their gut microbes are not yet developed, and antibiotics then kill off bacteria that has not had the chance to colonise and form.

What has Sarah been doing to treat her baby chronic eczema?

Sarah has been given steroid cream for her baby for the last 8 months, but nothing works. The eczema is so bad that he cries for hours at a time and scratches himself. He doesn’t eat properly and is a very unhappy baby.

What does Sarah feed her baby? Formula milk and some finger foods, but her baby is so unhappy that he often doesn’t feed very well.

The prognosis

I explained to Sarah that her baby’s problems were in his gut and not on his skin directly. As her baby was 8 months old, I suggested stopping a dairy-based formula milk. Dairy irritates the gut causing inflammation, especially in a baby who has been given antibiotics from a young age. I therefore suggested weaning him on to solid foods giving him a range of foods to enjoy, but no dairy-based products at all. I also suggested a non-dairy formula.

I suggested to Sarah to give her baby broth daily making it a regular addition to his diet. I also found Sarah a high-strength non-dairy probiotic with Lactobacillus Rhamnosus probiotic strain to help assist her baby’s gut microbiome. I encouraged her to give her baby lots of finger foods with fibre to help encourage the bacteria to grow.

We also prayed for Sarah’s baby boy that Jesus would heal him.

Conclusion

Sarah did everything I asked and kept it up for three months. The results were remarkable. Her little baby boy turned a huge corner. His eczema completely cleared up, no more hospital visits or steroids. His diet was much better, and he was a happy baby boy.

The joy of seeing Sarah and her baby happy was simply amazing, to know that everything we did worked and that we changed the course of her life with her baby. It is very sad to know that there are many babies out there who don’t get this advice. The issue remains that those in the medical profession are not studying gut health or nutrition. This is why the health system has developed to no longer support the wellness or people, but more to treat symptoms rather than getting to the cause.