An Update on Baby Mimi’s Leaky Gut

Hi, my name is Mimi and I have gut problems.

In October, I posted how Paleo is not always enough to heal someone from all their ailments. Some people transition to the Paleo lifestyle seamlessly while others require a boost.

My baby Mimi–19 months old–needs a boost.

Dr. Tim Gerstmar from Aspire Natural Health is coordinating these efforts. He’s a fabulous naturopathic doctor in Washington state that I met briefly at the Ancestral Health Symposium. I hesitated to call him since I don’t live in Washington, but phone consultations and email work really well for us and we’re happy with Dr. Gerstmar. He explains everything in layman’s terms, presents treatment options that I can choose from and be comfortable with, and never makes me feel stupid for asking questions.

The diagnosis.

Stool test kit. Oh boy, I could write a book about this 3-day madness. Let's just say I'm glad it's over.

Little Meems has some issues:

• Her stool test came back and she has high inflammation markers. Lysozyme is 650 (upper limits are 600) and her lactoferrin is a whopping 103 when it should be under 7.3–that’s 14x the upper limit.
• She’s got some good gut flora (but totally lacking lacto), some neutral-flora-gone-bad, and some dysbiotic flora.
• Her protective cell barbed wire (secretory IgA) is low, low, low.
• She’s anemic
• Her motor/cognitive/social/emotional development has all slowed down.

Mimi’s markers are also high enough that we’re getting the little lady tested for Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD). IBD is autoimmune and is better known as Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis.

That’s a lot going on for a 19-month-old.

The treatment

Broth makes a gut feel good

Allow me to preface: This treatment is specific to my daughter. I am posting in case someone needs an idea of where they might be able to start, but ultimately, this was designed specifically for Mimi.

• Paleo diet. Plus the addition of bone broth and fermented foods if I can get her to drink/eat it.
• Remove all sugars and starches. Sugars are feeding her bad gut flora. No more fruit, sweet potatoes, squash, beets, yucca, or any other good PWO dense carb sources for this girl.
• Breastfeed. Dr. Gerstmar believes that the breast milk is what’s holding her all together and preventing the inflammation from going crazy. I don’t have to maintain the same diet as the babe, but whatever I eat crosses into my milk. So I am also on Mimi’s stricter-than-strict Paleo diet (plus the autoimmune protocol for myself). That leaves me eating a lot of greens. If I don’t have a totally rockin’ bod by May, I’m going to be a little disappointed.
• Antibiotic. We could experiment with the more natural route and see if it works, but I feel like we’ve done enough experimenting and it’s time to bring in the big guns.
• Probiotic. She needs a healthy dose of probiotics to increase her good gut flora, especially with the round of antibiotics that’s going to kill off any that remains. We’re giving her two pinches a day of Klair Labs Ther-biotioc Infant Fomula because they’re well-known for being allergen-free. Side note: If giving with antibiotics, space out the timing so the probiotic doesn’t get killed upon ingestion. I never realized that, so we’re doing anti at breakfast and dinner, pro at lunch and bedtime.
• Herbal Remedy. After the 10-day round of antibiotics, we’re starting her on some herbs. I can’t remember what these do, but I recall liking the idea.

Duration: Retest stool 3 months after the antibiotic, expect to be on the protocol for a year. That is a long time to keep my baby girl away from bananas.

What this means for our real life.

One of Mimi's regular positions. I always thought she was doing Pilates. Turns out her gut was inflamed.

I had inclinations that Mimi had mild Leaky Gut. Admittedly, I was under the impression that we would get stool test results, put her on some probiotics, go on a GAPS/Weston A. Price/Paleo mixed protocol, and call it good. No big deal.

I wasn’t expecting how emotional I would get over treating a sick baby. It’s really hard. And sad. And frustrating. And debilitating, at times.

I knew intuitively my baby was sick. But having confirmation that she’s been sick, and for a very long time,  is a tough pill to swallow. I can handle my own PCOS and health problems, but my sweet angel baby? It’s almost too much to bear.

My comfort lies in knowing that mother’s intuition is real. I did things unconventionally for my baby girl because I just felt like it needed to happen. There were signs–wouldn’t lay on her stomach, waking up several times at night for 16 months, food allergies/sensitivities, weird rashes, psoriasis, hair wouldn’t grow on top or sides, slowing development– and I received some criticism and a lot of unsolicited advice about how to get her to sleep at night or help her crawl/walk. But something was off about the logical suggestions that worked magically for my son. I didn’t have solid research to back me; just gut feelings. And those gut feelings have kept her healthier, hallelujah.

I am really thankful to start this journey as a Paleo family. With the exception of a couple of tortilla chips and whatever she gets from my breast milk, Mimi has been Paleo since birth. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to learn how to live this lifestyle on top of changing a toddler’s entire diet (taking away blueberries, Aidell’s chicken apple sausages, and butternut squash is already causing plenty of stress in our home).

In May, I’ll let you know what the new results say. I’m hoping her intestines look pretty and she’s got a little bit more hair.

Tags: IBD, Leaky Gut, Paleo, Paleo Infants, Paleo Kids