[AnnaLaughs]

I want to give DD a supplement (we are fighting eczema) but I am getting confused about different ones and in what form. I have heard evening primrose oil but then I read not for babies (she is 18 months). I have heard borage, flax, cod liver oil....
Please help. What is safe for a child her age and how much should I give? Also, how to give...I need an easy way to get it into a toddler!
Thanks everyone!!

 

[JaneS]

Our naturopath (Bastyr graduate) has my 1 year old DS on 1/2 tsp each of cod liver oil and flax seed oil.
He just slurps it from a spoon. I use one of our regular spoons, perhaps he just likes using a big people's utensil

The CLO is Nordic naturals peach flavor and it is yummy. The FSO is Barlean's and it's yucky tasting but he doesn't seem to mind!

PS. the naturopath says she has better luck with flax rather than borage or evening primrose in her experience.

 

[PikkuMyy]

evening primrose and borage both contain GLA (gamma linoleic acid) while flax contains ALA (alpha lineleic acid). Both are good in different ways and I take both. I take borage because it has a higher concentration of GLA. I believe you've heard no evening primrose oil for babies because of it's estrogen-like effects (it's helpful with menopause) but borage doesn't do that. You should be taking some of each (ala and gla) to get a balance of oils.

Borage oil is only 1/4 teaspoon for an adult, so I assume the amount for a baby would be really small. I take the oil and it's very mild tasting. There's also a brand (refrigerated) that makes a blend of these oils just for kids! I can't remember the name right now but it's in Whole Foods. Even if she doesn't like the taste, she won't really be able to spit out 1/8 or 1/16 of a teaspoon of oil, which will coat her mouth.

Cod liver oil, which I don't take because I"m vegan, has DHA, another one of those acids. Your body can't make this on it's own but it can make it as long as it has proper levels of ALA and GLA. Because I take both, I don't worry about my DHA supplementation and my eczema has completely gone away just from those two. If you're worried, take a little CLO just to be safe.

 

[JaneS]

Emily,
I've always been wary of Borage because of reports of toxins but I don't think this has been documented:
http://www.udoerasmus.com/articles/udo/epo_summary.htm

 

[amnesiac]

PA's are in lots of herbs. Comfrey contains a lot & that's why we don't have it on the market in the US anymore but there are lots of others. Not all PAs are hepatotoxic either. Borage does contain some PAs but it's such a small amount that you'd probably have to take quite a lot for a long time to have a problem with it. I used to use borage but I recently switched to EPO not because of that but because it seems to me that although borage contains more GLA per volume than EPO, the GLA in EPO is more bioavailable. And I use CLO too.

 

[JaneS]

Thank you amnesiac... it does seem that Udo Erasmus is the one who popularizes this theory and others in the know don't seem to be worried. Also do you have any learning about estrogenic properties of EPO? I *think* I noticed a lowered milk supply when I took it.

 

[L.J.]

Hemp oil may also be a good alternative.

The important thing about Flax oil is that it goes bad very easily. It must be kept dark & cool or it will go rancid quickly. Keep exposure to oxygen & light to the absolute minimum. Buy small bottles & replace them frequently.

 

[amnesiac]

GLA does do something to estrogen receptors & that's part of why it has been used as an adjunct therapy in breast cancer but I don't really remember what the deal is exactly. And I don't know how it would impact bf.

 

[JaneS]

T

Re: GLA, estrogen receptors, and alternative breast cancer therapy
This is very interesting
http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/gamlinactam.html

I wonder if GLA competes with oxytocin/prolactin's action on the myoepithelial cells that produce milk.