Luke's Journey to Becoming Eczema Free

As a parent, watching your kid struggle with health issues can be heart-wrenching. For Yuliana, a loving mother in Illinois, this was the case when her son Luke, now 3 years old, began experiencing severe eczema. This is the story of how Luke's journey with eczema took a turn for the better with the help of Begin Health’s Daily Growing Up Prebiotics.

The Early Days: A Struggle with Eczema

Luke's skin health journey began when he was diagnosed with eczema in July 2022, at just 15 months old. His eczema started as random patches all over his legs, which Yuliana initially mistook for a rash. Despite trying numerous natural creams including Manuka honey, nothing seemed to alleviate Luke's discomfort. Luke’s pediatrician recommended steroid creams, but Yuliana was hesitant to use them on her young son. She wanted to find the root cause of the issue rather than just mask the symptoms.

Discovering the Root Cause of Luke’s Eczema 

Desperate for answers, Yuliana decided to take a Tiny Health Stool Test in December 2022 to use as one more tool in understanding what could be going on internally within Luke’s body. Since Luke was born via a C-Section at birth, a stool test could reveal any potential microbiome imbalances that could potentially be impacting his skin health.

Begin Health Expert Tip

C-Section births can impact your kiddo's health a variety of different ways. Check out our blog How C-Section Births Impact Gut Health to learn more. 

The results were eye-opening. Luke was low on Bifidobacteria, the most common good bacteria in toddlers that support digestive and immune health. In addition, the test revealed that he was also low in short-chain fatty acids – specifically butyrate, acetate, and propionate. In order to boost his levels of Bifidobacteria, it was recommended that Luke increase his intake of Human Milk Oligosaccharides, which feeds Bifidobacteria to increase their population in the gut. 

Following Recommendation and Plan to Support Rebuilding a Strong Little Gut

Based on the individualized gut health report, Tiny Health scientists recommended Luke incorporateBegin Health’s Growing Up Prebiotics into his daily routine which blends together the best of nature and science: 2’-FL Human Milk Oligosaccharides, the most abundant and naturally occurring prebiotic found in human breast milk and chicory root inulin. 

Begin Health Expert Note

Studies have shown that short-chain fatty acids can help with supporting relief from skin inflammation and improving overall skin barrier function. 

The addition of prebiotics support the growth of Bifidobacteria by feeding these good gut bugs the nutrients it needs to produce short-chain fatty acids in the gut. All of this, together, can result in promoting a better environment for healthy bacteria to grow and thrive. 

Incorporating Begin Health Daily Growing up Prebiotics 

Prebiotics are naturally found in foods such as onions, leeks, and asparagus. However, since Luke is a picky eater and Yuliana knew it would be difficult for him to meet the recommended intake for through food alone, she started including Daily Growing Up Prebiotics into Luke’s diet. Yulianna started mixing one serving a day to Luke’s water as a part of his daily routine. 

The prebiotics found in Daily Growing Up Prebiotics are specifically designed with 2’-FL HMOs to support gut health by nourishing the growth of beneficial bacteria, particularly those that thrive on the nutrients from HMOs.

Begin Health Expert Tip

Studies have shown that HMOs can potentially help with preventing eczema in infants. For more information about the link between HMOs and eczema, check out our blog 3 Potential Causes of Eczema in Babies.

The Transformation: How Growing up Prebiotics Made a Difference

In January 2023, Yuliana started Luke on Growing Up Prebiotics, and the results were nothing short of amazing. Within four weeks, Luke’s eczema began to improve, and by the two-month mark, his eczema was gone.

The addition of probiotics (specfically Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, which can help eczema) and Begin Health’s Growing Up Prebiotics can help create a closed-loop system where the gut microbiome is constantly fed the nutrients it needs for good bacteria to thrive. There are thousands of different strains of good bacteria, but HMOs specifically stimulates the growth of bifidobacteria to help the gut heal from the inside out. 

Luke has now been using Begin Health for over a year, and Yuliana continues to monitor his health with regular stool tests. To her relief, Luke’s eczema has not returned and is now eczema free.

In addition, Yuliana notes that Luke’s sleep also improved significantly - now that he’s not dealing with symptoms of itching, he is able to sleep through the night, which has been a huge relief for the entire family.

A Mother's Advice: Trust the Process

When asked if she would recommend Growing Up Prebiotics to other parents, Yulianna is clear in her response. 

“You have to trust the process because companies like Begin Health and Tiny Health know what they’re doing. They need to just try them,” she says.

Yuliana understands that many parents may be skeptical about trying supplements, especially when even her own doctors recommend more conventional treatments like steroids. However, her experience with Luke has shown her that it's worth trusting your gut and getting a second opinion from other health experts and giving the entire process time to work.

“There’s hope, and there’s something else we can do for our kids that’s better in the long run,”  Yuliana adds.

For Luke and his family, Growing Up Prebiotics from Begin Health has been a game-changer, and Yuliana hopes that other parents will find the same relief and success in their own healthy journeys.

This story is a testament to the power of using a multifactorial approach that includes holistic approaches and the importance of understanding health issues from the root cause. If your kiddo is struggling with similar issues, check out our Kiddo Poop Test to help kickstart the journey to uncovering the root cause of their health issues.