Celiac diets in preschoolers.

[Narnia]

My DD 3 might have celiac ( it runs in the family ). She had her blood tested today for it but I was wondering if I should just start a gluten free diet now anyways w/o the results. She always has a non stop runny nose, odd rash on her leg bit most of all bowel issues. The hospital took an x ray of her tummy and she is realy backed up but tummy is soft and always poops all day lond( 6x!) The Dr is mailing a prescripion to help clear it. Should I just try the diet and see what happens?

 

[mechurchlady]

Definitely get her on a celiac diet until allergy testing and other blood work can be done. Nobody snap at me for my explanaion please. Basically celiac leads to gluten damaging the stomach so that it cannot absorb stuff like nutrients, vitamins, fats, and carbs. Iver time the person can get a low immune system, heal slower, rashes, various body parts not working right and so much more.

I have bad teeth partly from not absorbing vitamin D and calcium at times. I get sores on my nose, pale (cafe au lait coloured) poop, belly aches, gas, cuts do not heal, vision problems, emotional problems and so much more. Not absorbing Vitamin C leads to immune problems. Not absorbing fats and stuff probably is why I shed when ever I have a wheat reaction.

 

[BeckyScott]

It won't hurt anything to start. Will it?

And since you're already familiar with celiac, you know the drill and won't have to go thru the whole learning curve.

If it turns out she doesn't have it, then you go back to what she was eating before, and keep investigating. In the meantime, take her gluten-free and you might come to your own conclusions even before the labs come back.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

You've already had the testing done, correct?

If you haven't, you need to wait until after it's done because going gluten free beforehand can change the outcome of the test.

ETA: The waiting may also need to happen if her doctor wants to do a follow up biopsy at all. If the doctor has experience with Celiac's it's probably worth calling him or her to ask.

 

[ekatiel]

ITA with Wheeled Traveler-- the tests will not come up positive if the child is not eating gluten. So, make sure all your testing is done (including a biopsy) and then start the GF diet.

 

[Momma2dakidz]

Dongt forget about playdoh, it has gluten in it also. alot of art supplies are a big no no.

 

[jrsmom]

ITA with Wheeled Traveler-- the tests will not come up positive if the child is not eating gluten. So, make sure all your testing is done (including a biopsy) and then start the GF diet.

I was tested last winter and I had been eating gluten free for about a month, the doctor told me to eat two pieces of toast for the week before the test. Ask the doctor what they require for an accurate result. Good luck with the testing.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

My DD 3 might have celiac ( it runs in the family ). She had her blood tested today for it but I was wondering if I should just start a gluten free diet now anyways w/o the results. She always has a non stop runny nose, odd rash on her leg bit most of all bowel issues. The hospital took an x ray of her tummy and she is realy backed up but tummy is soft and always poops all day lond( 6x!) The Dr is mailing a prescripion to help clear it. Should I just try the diet and see what happens?

I would try it. My mom has celiac and when she switched to a GF diet, she was so much better off. If it doesn't work than at least you know you tried it.

Definitely get her on a celiac diet until allergy testing and other blood work can be done. Nobody snap at me for my explanaion please. Basically celiac leads to gluten damaging the stomach so that it cannot absorb stuff like nutrients, vitamins, fats, and carbs. Iver time the person can get a low immune system, heal slower, rashes, various body parts not working right and so much more.

I have bad teeth partly from not absorbing vitamin D and calcium at times. I get sores on my nose, pale (cafe au lait coloured) poop, belly aches, gas, cuts do not heal, vision problems, emotional problems and so much more. Not absorbing Vitamin C leads to immune problems. Not absorbing fats and stuff probably is why I shed when ever I have a wheat reaction.

You sound just like my mom and her celiac disease. She has dentures now because her teeth were so badly damaged because of not absorbing the nutrients for all of those years.

 

[mechurchlady]

It has been a couple of weeks and I wonder how the kid is doing.
I just came form B&G foods and they have a list of foods they make that are GF. I can eat B&M beans, oh happy dance.

 

[Narnia]

My DD is doing a bit better now that we have her on a gf diet since I posted last( yes!! no runny nose she has since she was eating solids!!). Her lab work came back normal for celiac just a bit higher then normal results. She is anemic and a few other things they tested for were a bit off but the dr was worrid about her low red blood cell count. She just went in yesterday for another blood test to see if her anemia is cased by folic/iron deficancy. I wonder if she's deficant in other vitamins/minerals. She doesn't drink alot of mik just a glass or two a day since she really likes water. Can Celiac cause issues like this?

 

[mechurchlady]

Some tests can come back opposite of what they are supposed to be even for other disorders.

I am not going to go into scientific terms so nobody chew me out.

The stomach has this little hair like things called Villi. The celiac reaction to gluten damages those so that they cannot take in nutrients, fats, sugars, and other stuff. This leads to malnutrition. REad up on what happens when you do not get enough of a bioflavin, vitamin, mineral, fats, carbs, water, etc. For me the malabsorbtion means bad teeth, boils, rashes, poor healing, INTENSE PAIN for what normally I would ignore, vision problems, hearing problems, mental disorders like depression, breathing problems and so much more.

Then comes gas which can press on organs thus causing pain in the back, chest and heart, fake heart attack, burping excessively, and having to pee more often. The damage to the stomach can cause weird poop like what is seen when people use drugs that eliminate fats. Each person is different and the gluten can get into the bloodstream and go to other areas of the body to attack those areas. I am a heavy gas person, skin changes, shedding hair, and moods change, usually first the racing high then depression, moodiness and napping.

Their are religious groups and vegans whose kids never drink milk in their life. The goal is to get the kid to eat a balanced diet. It is interesting how the runny nose went away when you went GF. i would suggest daily vitamins and stay GF.