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What if I told you that there are certain clues (like the infant drool rash) that can be potential eczema red flags? Signs that could tell you that there’s something brewing, allowing you the opportunity to step in before your child’s skin explodes in rashes.
So if your baby’s cheeks are suddenly bright red, inflamed, and irritated at different times of the day, leaving them really fussy and clearly uncomfortable, this is a sign of a deeper imbalance.
While drool rashes are common and plenty of babies get them, a persistent drool rash, flushing with foods, cradle cap, colic, diaper rash, or mucus in stools can be part of a bigger pattern that points to a more reactive immune system and a vulnerable skin barrier.
This is where so many parents get stuck. They are trying to do the right thing, but they get mixed messages about food allergies, probiotics, vitamin D, and whether every flare means something is “wrong.” That confusion can lead to fear, food restriction, and even bigger problems later.
In this episode, Jennifer Brand and I unpack why saliva can be so irritating to delicate baby skin, why the cheeks may be especially vulnerable in infancy, and how to think through the difference between a drool rash, an eczema flare, and a possible allergic reaction.
In case you’ve not heard her on the show before, Jennifer Brand, MS, MPH, CNS, LDN is a clinical nutritionist who helps babies and children with chronic rashes navigate the journey to healthy skin so they can enjoy a childhood free from disruptive skin symptoms. As one of the most trusted pediatric skin-focused nutritionists, Jen is passionate about helping families get to the root causes of the problem through her unique method called Rashes Be Gone.
If you want a more practical way to think through baby drool rash, early eczema warning signs, and food allergy prevention, dive into this episode.
Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn | Subscribe on Android
In This Episode:
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- What infant drool rash in babies could mean
- Why baby cheeks are highly prone to redness, irritation, and flaring
- Drool rash, eczema flares, and allergic reactions: What’s the difference?
- Should infant facial flushing with new foods mean they have a food allergy?
- How probiotics and vitamin D can help (and what they can’t do)
- The biggest mistake parents make with chronic baby rashes
- What elimination diets (and keeping foods out) does to your child’s risk of food allergies
Quotes
“Drool can irritate that sensitive skin, and when that happens, we can develop these rashes.”
“Elimination diets are by far the biggest mistake that gets made with babies and children who have chronic skin rashes.”
Links
Find Jennifer Brand online | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
Rashes Be Gone Program (For Kids + Babies)
Healthy Skin Show ep. 305: Elimination Diets, Food Fear + Healing Skin Rashes {NEW RESEARCH}
413: Are Infant Drool Rash + Cradle Cap Eczema Red Flags For Babies? w/ Jennifer Brand, MS, MPH, CNS
Jennifer Fugo (00:19.359)
Jen, I am so excited to have you back here on the show to talk about infant drool rash, cradle cap, and baby rash. Thank you so much for joining us.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (00:24.46)
Thank you for having me back. I'm really excited to be here.
Jennifer Fugo (00:27.593)
Well, one of the reasons that I wanted to have you back today is I feel like, because of the things you've been talking about on social media, you've become like, I know this is a silly thing to say, but it's kind of true, you're like the drool rash queen now for these little babies that have this like, poor, oh my gosh, their faces. It is so painful for me, I don't even have children, but to look at the faces of little babies. And I can't imagine parents who are looking at their kids where their cheeks are all red, and it's just so inflamed around the mouth, and the chin, and down the throat. What is going on that these little babies are experiencing this drool rash?
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (01:12.182)
Yes, and you know, it's something that is, this is not uncommon, drool rashes are not uncommon. However, every child is different, and some children experience this in a more severe way than others. What I have seen in my clinical practice and with these little babies is that the skin is generally sensitive in babies this small. Drool can irritate that sensitive skin, and when that happens, we can develop these rashes. And sometimes it does just stay on the face or on the chin, sometimes that can come down to the neck. The drool can happen with babies in general. And then of course, when a baby's teething, that exacerbates the issue, we do have a lot more drool. Along with the teething, we get inflammation, that inflammation can also trigger the skin. And some of the interesting things that I've seen in these little babies is that sometimes what starts out as just a drool rash later then develops into something more severe like eczema.
And it's not saying that the drool rash is causing the eczema, but there's already a predisposition in having the sensitive skin. So if a baby is having severe drool rashes, severe inflammation, severe rashes during teething, or persistent, I should say, not even necessarily severe, but these persistent symptoms, along with the drool, along with the teething, that could indicate a predisposition and something parents should really be aware of. They may be more likely to develop more inflammation and more skin rashes later.
Jennifer Fugo (02:43.464)
When you say baby, and I know you said teething. Again, I don't have kids, so I'm not, this is not my wheelhouse. What kind of age bracket should a parent, if they're listening to this, what age brackets are we kinda talking about, in terms of teething versus this drool rash? Like when do you see this?
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (03:06.55)
I see this in pretty young babies. It's usually happening before babies are starting solids and then soon thereafter. So in most cases where I'm seeing the drool rashes, it is in kids under two years old, so babies and kind of up to that point. And something that I do find really interesting as well in these really young kids, and this is generally, so this is babies in general. And some people out there, and I know you have heard of this, Jen, the filaggrin protein. So the filaggrin protein is a protein in the skin that helps the skin barrier make its own natural moisturizing factors, helps build the skin barrier so that we don't have that leakiness, permeability, that can precipitate into rashes. But that filaggrin protein develops at different times in different areas of the body, so it kind of develops in stages. And in babies, it takes the longest to develop in the cheeks.
So this is another reason why, if your baby, so anybody listening, if your baby has eczema or rashes or what have you on the face, on the cheeks, often that is a predisposition and a sign that your baby's skin is leaky. So, things that are important to keep in mind here is that, again, it could determine later what is going to happen with the skin on a deeper level. But with a teething baby, with a drooling baby, with the sensitive skin, and again, this isn't just in kids with eczema, this is in kids in general, which is why saliva, the bacteria in the mouth, bacteria in the saliva, enzymes in the saliva, this can all be really irritating for already sensitive skin.
Jennifer Fugo (04:55.185)
It's interesting that you talk about this. Again, I work with adults, so it's always interesting for me to hear about your cases because sometimes they're so vastly different because of the age. And I've had clients where they have lost teeth, and these are older adults. And so at night, no amount of mouth taping was keeping their mouth closed, and so the saliva, even in an adult, overnight exposure to the skin was causing massive rashes.
Now, in these individuals, what we sort of discovered was that, so again, this is an adult, so you can speak to this, and maybe you know the answer, maybe you don't. I have no idea, because this was really, this was a shocker to me, was that these individuals, when they had their mouth microbiome tested, had a massive amount of highly inflammatory bacteria, parasites, all sorts of stuff going on that I can imagine, not just the organisms, but like you were saying, the enzymes, the toxic byproducts that these organisms make are creating issues on the skin. So, do you think it's possible that a baby, too, could have such a dysbiotic mouth microbiome at such a young age? Have you looked into that?
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (06:20.688)
Absolutely.
Jennifer Fugo (06:22.763)
Oh really, okay.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (06:24.908)
Yeah, so I haven't done oral biome testing on kids, but something that I do ask families when they come on board into my practice, intake questionnaire, brushing and flossing is super important, keeping the mouth microbiome clean. And so I do talk to my clients about this. And something that is really important is brushing and flossing.
Now, I know a lot of these kids, they don't really have teeth to brush yet or teeth to floss yet, but as soon as your child has teeth that can be brushed and flossed, we need to do that. Because one of the things that I see that I think is really interesting as well is that, yes, too, and I don't think parents think about this necessarily, because if there are not teeth yet and maybe the baby is just nursing, well, that's still going to be bacteria that builds up in the mouth. So even if there are no teeth to brush or floss, we still need to keep the oral cavity clean because then, not only does it get on the face, that's very possible along with the drool, but also we swallow that and it gets into the gut.
So one of the primary bacteria that I see often that ends up, we see this on GI Map stool testing, for example, and in a lot of the kids I work with, I would say nearly every child that I work with, I always do a GI Map on them, no matter the age. One of the things that shows up in nearly every child is the Strep species on the opportunistic section. If it's not at least detected, it's high on that testing. And there's Strep in the mouth, so we swallow this, it gets into the gut, and then it can perpetuate other issues because that is an inflammatory microorganism, for example.
So yes, it is very important that parents understand that even if there aren't teeth yet, that we keep the oral microbiome as clean as possible because not only does that get on the face and trigger rashes that we might be seeing on the cheeks, on the chin, getting down to the neck, but also we swallow that. It gets into the gut. That stuff is inflammatory, and it can cause more systemic problems down the line.
Jennifer Fugo (08:23.625)
Do you think that there could be a factor with, I've had different experts talk on the show about the development of food allergies and the massive mistake that the medical community made by advising parents to withhold the top eight allergens until pretty late in this development stage. And so, like giving kids these rice puff cereals and things. And I'm not trying to shame moms, and I understand that sometimes kids are where they are, and it's really hard to change that. But do you think that, given that there's this potential issue with the drool, and kids may be eating these really refined starches and things of that nature, do you think that there's any correlation of how those foods could also potentially be contributing to issues within the mouth microbiome and saliva?
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (09:24.172)
Yes, it's definitely possible. What we eat obviously plays a huge role in what's happening with the body as a whole. To your point about the allergens as well, and this is interesting, and we can talk about this because this is really important, and unfortunately, there still are a lot of families out there who are afraid to introduce the allergens, who are not aware yet of the danger of holding those back until the child is older.
And from what I hear from the clients that I do work with at this stage, the majority of them, I would say, it's more of a parent fear because their doctors, their medical doctors, have advised them to introduce solids. But the reason that this is so important, especially in little babies, is because withholding them definitely can create a greater risk for allergen development later. And when a child does have something like eczema, even psoriasis, or any sort of skin condition where the skin barrier is broken, leaky, open skin, they can get sensitized to these allergens through that broken skin barrier.
There's a lesser chance of that sensitization, and especially of it turning into a clinical allergy, if those foods are introduced. The gut immune function is much more robust than skin immune function, so this is why it is absolutely critical to introduce these allergens to your child before they can get sensitized through the skin. That said, when we have the rashes on the face, on the cheeks, it still is really important to get them into the mouth and try not to get it onto the skin because we don't want them to get sensitized that way, because again, greater allergy risk if that happens.
So a strategy that I share with parents is that when they start eating solids, when they're eating, when they're nursing, if they do have rashes on the face, you could always put on an occlusive type of ointment, whether that's Vaseline, Aquaphor, a tallow, what have you, something around, on top of the skin because it acts like a barrier and it can help prevent the allergens from entering through the broken skin barrier.
Jennifer Fugo (11:33.184)
I remember, you know Jen, this reminds me, and obviously listeners aren't gonna know this. So, I had a couple that I'm friends with, they had a baby, and I had asked you about their child because she was so young, she was just starting to eat solid foods, and her cheeks would become so hot and inflamed after eating and it would then go down to the mouth and under the chin into the throat area, and it would just turn bright red. And the poor mom was like, I don't know what to do. And I'm like, hold on, I have to ask the person that, if I had a child, I would go to, which is you. I was like, I have to ask Jen.
And that was one of the things that you had shared that was actually very helpful because, like you said, it creates a barrier to make sure that the foods are not getting access to this weaker skin barrier area. And so I just wanted to share that as actual proof that these are real things that you have shared with people that have actually made a huge difference. And I know that my friends were very grateful for your suggestions.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (12:47.821)
I'm glad that that helped. And, you know, that brings up an important point, if we can touch on that for a moment, too.
Jennifer Fugo (12:52.456)
Yeah.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (13:17.745)
A lot of parents do see the skin flare when they start eating solids. Now, and this is the tricky part, because everybody is different, so parents out there listening, definitely work with your provider on this. But what is key to understand is that there is a very big difference between something like a drool rash flare, an eczema flare, and something that is an anaphylactic reaction. So, often if a child, and I work with a lot of parents that are in this situation, the child already has eczema, they're starting to introduce solids, every time the baby eats something new, they get red, they get flushed. That is different than an eczema flare. And this is a very case-based situation, and when I work with families, we talk through this in great detail.
So the questions that I ask families, because I hear, okay, I encourage them, let's introduce solids. Are there existing allergies? No. Is your baby getting hives? No. Okay, then it's probably not going to be an allergy. You've been nursing, have these foods been in your diet? Okay. No hives. We're dealing with eczema? Okay. So we suss all of this out, right, because they’re nuances and they're important. So, a baby, it is not uncommon, even without eczema, without anything else going on, that they flush when they eat something new. So every time I tell this story, my mouth, my taste buds water. You know when you're about to eat something, your taste buds, they start to water.
Jennifer Fugo (14:22.175)
Mm-hmm. Yep.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (14:36.45)
It creates heat in your mouth. It's like a thermogenic process. So especially, like umami, like savory foods, it kind of creates, your mouth waters, and you feel it here, right? So when a baby is eating a new food, it's a similar type of situation. They haven't had this food before. It's savory, it tastes like something, it's triggering this warmth, this response within their mouth.
Jennifer Fugo (14:46.303)
How interesting.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (15:15.634)
And so that can create some redness and some flushing, which is very different than an allergic reaction, which, when it's an allergic reaction, the types of reactions that I'm concerned about are hives, swelling, trouble breathing. A reaction that happens within 10 minutes to an hour, typically, is when an allergic reaction is going to happen. Those are the types of things which, yes, call your doctor immediately, go to the emergency room, get that checked out.
If it's an eczema flare, some itching without the hives, see it becomes tricky, right, there's nuances. Baby already has eczema, little bit of flaring with some foods, but then it calms down pretty quickly, no need for antihistamines or a doctor visit. Okay, we don't like the eczema flares, they're uncomfortable, we don't want those to happen, but that's not a reason to avoid the foods. The more we avoid those foods, the more likely they are to develop an actual allergy or something that can be anaphylactic. So as uncomfortable as eczema might be, it is still important to get those foods in to help prevent the development of the allergies later.
And then of course, we also have the drool rashes, which may or may not be eczema. So this is where, it really is, it's very nuanced, and it's very tricky. So parents out there, don't take this, work with your practitioner, get some professional advice on this. But it's really important to make sure that you understand the difference between what might be happening with the reaction, I'm going to use air quotes there, because it can be simply a drool rash, simply flushing because it's a new food, it could be an eczema flare, it could be an allergy. So these are all things to be careful of. But it's absolutely critical not to assume that it's an allergy unless there are clear signs of that. And it's also really important to work with a physician to diagnose if there are actual allergies so that you're not unnecessarily restricting foods, because that will increase the risk for an actual allergy to happen later. Clear as mud, right?
Jennifer Fugo (16:48.415)
Clear as mud. All right, so wait, I just want to make sure I understand this. It sounds like what you're saying is that if your baby, your young child under two, is drooling, that may not actually be eczema. Because I think in my head, I go, oh, that child has eczema. But what you're saying is that this quote-unquote drool rash that can occur may not necessarily be eczema, but it can be, am I correct in hearing you, that this could be a sign that there is a possible issue with eczema that may occur in the future? So it's sort of like a warning sign.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (17:38.127)
It can be a warning sign. So I mean, there are so many babies that get drool rashes. And again, the skin is sensitive. The skin is still developing, the skin barrier is still developing. It is more, it takes longer to develop in the face and the cheeks. So it's very possible that it is just a drool rash. But if we're talking about these early warning signs, and this is really important too, because a lot of the children that I work with in my practice, by the time they find me, they're still pretty young, but then I hear from parents, they did have really bad drool rashes before the eczema started.
Jennifer Fugo (18:11.636)
Right.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (18:21.299)
They did have things like colic, or they were spitting up a lot, or maybe there was baby acne, or they have cradle cap, or mucus in the stools. So if your baby has a drool rash and that's all that's going on, okay, maybe it's just a drool rash, but if you're starting to notice patterns and other symptoms, all these things are connected, and they're all signs of an immune system that is still developing, of a gut that is still developing. And if things veer off track, it's more likely that these things can develop into something more severe later, like eczema, like actual allergies, even asthma. And also, too, another thing that I hear from parents is that, yes, my older child has eczema. So that can be another sign. If you have an older child that does have eczema or another chronic skin issue, and you're starting to see these early signs, even just a drool rash in your baby, that could be a sign like, okay, there may be a predisposition here that we need to check out before this child escalates like the other.
So, yeah, it can be really tricky to suss all of these things out, but when I do work with these families, I would say nearly every child that I work with, by the time they find me, we are dealing with something more severe like eczema, or psoriasis, or hives, or what have you. But then we start talking about history and when did this start? What was earlier life like? We're already early in life, but even earlier in life, what was that like? And a lot of these babies do have these early signs, like the cradle cap, like persistent drool rash, diaper rash, persistent diaper rash is another one. So if you start looking at what's happening with your child in terms of the whole child and not these individual symptoms, it's really important to start helping to identify these patterns so that things don't escalate down the line.
Jennifer Fugo (20:10.355)
And let me ask you just a couple of like, I think maybe we'll just do like a fast fire, they can be a little bit more than a yes or a no. Do you think that, in these instances, starting a probiotic will really help massively? Generally speaking.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (20:30.671)
No. No. I have a hard time answering short questions, but that one, no.
Jennifer Fugo (20:37.959)
I know, because it does depend. We know it depends. So, do you think it's at least worthwhile to do a probiotic?
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (20:48.517)
Oh, gosh, that's such a good question. I'm going to go with generally, no.
Jennifer Fugo (20:53.543)
Really?
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (20:56.834)
Yeah. I mean, nearly, okay, not even nearly, 100% of the kids in my practice are on a probiotic. I always use a probiotic.
Jennifer Fugo (21:10.398)
Okay.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (21:13.593)
The probiotic matters. The reason I'm fast to say no is because a probiotic alone is not going to solve the problem. It can't really hurt, I mean, there's some instances, it's really, see, okay, short answer, no. Long answer, everybody's different. I will say this, too, what I find in clinical practice, I know that there are a lot of different probiotics that are research-based that are supposed to be helpful with eczema. Not once in my practice have I seen those probiotics actually help with the problem.
Jennifer Fugo (21:35.391)
So I was gonna ask you too, specifically about the Lactobacillus rhamnosus, because I remember there's like some study that said that if you give your baby Lactobacillus rhamnosus, it'll bring the risk of eczema down by some substantial portion. I don't know if you've actually ever seen that play out.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (21:55.652)
I've never seen that happen. Well, and here's the thing, too. So, to be fair, by the time most parents find me, their child is really struggling. Things have escalated, and they've tried a number of things already. Elimination diets are one of the first things people try. A lot of people have done a direct-to-consumer stool test, there's one in particular that, I will not say the name out loud, but they recommend a certain probiotic and some diet changes. And the people that find me, these have not worked for.
So I do have a lot of kids in my practice, and parents have tried the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and the other NH1 or whatever it is, the ones that are researched for eczema, and they're still coming to me because it hasn't solved the problem.
Jennifer Fugo (22:44.306)
Hasn’t solved the problem of, for example, what causes cradle cap.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (22:56.665)
And something to keep in mind about the probiotics, too, just so parents are aware, there is not one probiotic that is going to solve the problem. When we're talking about, yes, there is a gut-skin connection, there's a gut-immune system connection, it's just one thing that is going on. We can't just look at one system to solve the problem. So yes, the gut is an important piece of the puzzle, a probiotic can be an important piece of the puzzle, but a probiotic alone is not going to resolve gut imbalances to the point where it's going to resolve what's happening on the skin.
Jennifer Fugo (23:12.297)
What about vitamin D supplementation? Because I know there seems to be, some people say that the baby should be on a vitamin D supplement, other people are like, well, is that really appropriate? Have you found that to be at all helpful for kids in this boat, where maybe they've got the drool rashes and baby rash, they've got red flags, or they're transitioning into the atopic march with eczema or something like that? Or not really?
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (23:42.589)
Yeah. I mean, short answer, it’s yes and a no. So vitamin D is also something that I do recommend, it's essentially on every single plan that I create for my clients, but that alone also doesn't solve the problem. It can be important. There is a lot of research out there about vitamin D, and low vitamin D is associated with worsening eczema, with worsening flares, with an increase of staph colonization on the skin and skin infections. So low vitamin D is associated with a lot of things that do come along with eczema, so vitamin D status is really important. However, vitamin D alone also isn't going to solve the problem, but it can be a good place to start. And for the most part, pretty much everybody needs some vitamin D nowadays. We're basically all deficient at some level.
Jennifer Fugo (24:37.82)
Yeah.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (24:43.442)
So most people can benefit overall because it is important for immune function. So when we're are talking, specifically, we're talking about eczema, that is an inflammatory immune condition. A lot of people think autoimmune, it's not, it's inflammatory. And so vitamin D is good for the immune system. It does help regulate immune function, which is why it can help with some of these patterns that do come along with something like eczema.
Jennifer Fugo (25:02.342)
So it sounds like you should, I'm gonna summarize. I'm gonna be like ChatGPT and summarize. So it sounds like what you're saying is that there are a number, this cluster of warning signs, especially in young children, that can potentially point towards eczema, asthma, food allergies, some type or variation of the atopic march that can happen. So there are certain things, you talk about these on social media, you've mentioned them here today, like these can be things that can be like, hey, something is brewing under the surface.
You could try a probiotic, you could try vitamin D, you could try both together. And if they don't work, you shouldn't necessarily be shocked, nor should you be disappointed. And I also heard you say that you do not recommend kids to be put on a really strict, especially at such a young age, having foods really withheld or pulled out of their diet unless that's done for a medical reason with a doctor or a practitioner who has this type of training, because of the increased risk in food allergies. Does that sound about like, how's my summary?
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (26:21.902)
That sounds pretty good. Can I add a little bit if, you don't mind, about the elimination diets?
Jennifer Fugo (26:24.51)
Yes, 100%. Yeah.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (26:40.62)
Because this is probably one of my biggest soapboxes, and anybody that's ever looked at any of my stuff, you are going to see this. One of the, probably the, if I have to pick like one of the biggest mistakes that, practitioners make this mistake, and therefore parents are led down this path, unknowingly, because they think that they're helping and it's all well- and good-intentioned. Elimination diets are by far the biggest mistake that gets made with babies and children who have chronic skin rashes. Food, unless there is an IgE diagnosed allergy, this is why it's really important to talk to your doctor and not assume. Unless there is something where a physician, a medical doctor has told you to keep foods out, this goes for moms who are nursing as well, if a doctor has not said to keep it out, it needs to be in. This is not only to help prevent and protect against the development of allergies later in your baby or your child.
Think about it, okay? It's like if you, whatever kind of car you have nowadays, you're fueling your car, you're charging it, whatever you're doing with your car today. So if you don't fuel your car, it is not going to go. So if you do not feed the body, it is not going to be able to function appropriately. Kids are growing and developing. Their bodies are growing and developing. Their gut systems are developing, the immune system is developing, their brains are developing. How can they do that without fuel? So not only that, but they're also, their skin is healing. So again, you need fuel, you need nourishment for your child's body to do everything it's supposed to do and to heal. So eat.
Jennifer Fugo (28:06.066)
Yeah. And Jen, there is research, which I know you know about because I had said you and I have talked about this.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (28:12.957)
You've done this research.
Jennifer Fugo (28:33.798)
But just for listeners who don't realize this, Dr. Anna Marie Tseng has a paper, and I'll put it into the show notes, that talks about the challenges of when parents have, I think a lot of times it's either been unknowingly guided because of internet information, or they worked with somebody who really did not have an appropriate training, told the parent to remove these foods because they're inflammatory, oh, they're allergic to them. Because the word allergic, while it does have a very specific meaning, a lot of people use the word allergy, specifically, incorrectly, because they're using it interchangeably with like a food sensitivity, a food intolerance. Those three words, intolerance, sensitivity, and allergy mean very different things.
And they removed these foods from these children, young children, and they had a much higher risk of developing food allergies as a result of removing the foods. And so that has been proven in science that this is a major problem. So, it's not to put the blame on a parent, but I think we know better, we should do better.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (29:23.635)
We should do better. And this is also, it's one of the biggest mistakes that gets made in functional medicine. And I mean, I remember back when we were being trained in this, and one of the first interventions, it's always food sensitivity testing, elimination diet. And it is by far, I'm just gonna say this, it's the biggest mistake functional medicine makes. Functional practitioners have been trained to do this, and it needs to stop because it's very dangerous for babies and children.
Jennifer Fugo (29:42.322)
Yeah, yeah, agreed. And adults, it's the same thing. And I'll just add this, because we've talked about this before on the show, but the reason, and I understand, we're not gonna mention any stool test company names, but if a stool test is being marketed to you, if it's being marketed to you, and then it's gonna give you a report about how to fix everything, that is not a clinically useful stool test. That is a consumer stool test, and there's not much clinically that you can actually do with that, despite what the company's probably gonna tell you. So that's just my two cents, you're wasting your money.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (30:22.451)
That is absolutely correct. Yes, it's an absolute waste of money. And again, I have so many families that have gone down that route, unknowingly and with best intentions, because you've got to fix the gut to fix the skin. And again, it's a piece of the puzzle, it's not the whole puzzle.
Jennifer Fugo (30:27.443)
Yes.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (30:55.175)
So even if you've tried gut healing on your own and it hasn't worked, first, you need the right testing, you need somebody that knows how to read these things to help you, and you need an appropriate plan. Because often, with that direct-to-consumer testing, parents are told to try three different diets, paraphrasing, right, but three diet changes and a probiotic that's supposed to be good for eczema, and it doesn't solve the problem. So it's a complete waste, and it's frustrating. But yes, that is an important point. So I'm glad that you brought that up as well.
Jennifer Fugo (31:07.026)
Yeah, well, I always love having you on the show. You've been on so many times, so I will make sure to put some of our other episodes into the show notes so that parents who have not maybe heard your other episodes can check them out. Because you've come here and talked a ton about some really fascinating topics around children, babies, because it's different. You and I work with very different age groups, and the solutions and interventions are different. And it's because they just, babies and children have different needs than adults.
So, everybody, if you're looking, because Jen, you are working with clients, so you actually are accepting clients. If everybody is interested in checking you out, wanting to also get on your newsletter list, which is really great, or follow you on social media, I guess the best place would be to go to your website, right? JenniferCarynBrandNutrition.com.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (32:05.309)
Yes, yes, so that's a good place to start.
Jennifer Fugo (32:07.804)
And then you're also on TikTok and Instagram.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (32:10.769)
I'm on TikTok, Instagram, yes. And I'm @JenniferCarynBrand. Caryn is spelled a little funky. It's C-A-R-Y-N.
Jennifer Fugo (32:21.01)
We will make sure to put that up so that everybody can find it and find you. So thank you so much, Jen, for being here. I really appreciate you, once again, sharing your wisdom with us.
Jennifer Brand, CNS, LDN (32:32.711)
Thank you for having me.
