How do you know if your child is gluten intolerant

Celiac Disease (for Kids) - Nemours KidsHealth

Have you ever eaten gluten? If you've ever eaten a piece of bread, a slice of pizza, or a bowl of cereal, chances are you have.

What's Gluten?

Gluten (say: GLOO-tin) is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley — grains that are in many everyday foods. Most of us eat food with gluten with no trouble. But for some people, eating gluten can cause a reaction in their bodies. Someone who has this problem has celiac (say: SEE-lee-ak) disease.

After you eat food, it goes to your stomach, which is part of a group of organs that make up your digestive system. An important part of the digestive system is the small intestine, which is lined with villi (say: VIL-eye).

Villi are usually described as microscopic, finger-like projections. They're extremely small — so small you can't see them without a microscope. The villi are important because they absorb nutrients into the body.

For someone with celiac disease, eating gluten — in a piece of bread, for instance — causes an immune system reaction. Your immune system ordinarily keeps you from getting sick, but in someone with celiac disease, the body starts damaging and destroying the villi. Without villi, the body can't absorb vitamins and nutrients from food. Without enough nutrients, a kid's body has a tough time staying healthy and growing properly. Even if the person eats a lot, they still might lose weight and could develop anemia (say: uh-NEE-me-uh) from not absorbing enough iron.

Why Do Kids Get Celiac Disease?

No one is sure why celiac disease happens, but it appears to run in families. Many people who have celiac disease do not know it. If all these people were diagnosed, celiac disease would be more common than type 1 diabetes.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Celiac Disease?

Common symptoms of celiac disease are diarrhea, decreased appetite, stomachache and bloating, poor growth, and weight loss. Many kids are diagnosed with it when they're between 6 months and 2 years old, which is when most kids get their first taste of gluten in foods.

For some people, the problems start slowly and the symptoms may be terrible one week and not as bad the next. Because of this, some people aren't diagnosed with celiac disease until they're older. The problem is chronic, which means that although symptoms may come and go, people who have celiac disease will always have it.

Someone with celiac disease may feel tired and could be irritable. Some also have skin rashes and mouth sores. The problem is sometimes mistaken for other digestive problems called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or lactose intolerance. And in some cases, a kid won't have any symptoms and then will all of a sudden start having problems during a time of stress, such as after an injury.

How Do People Know They Have It?

Someone who has a lot of stomachaches, diarrhea, weight loss, or any of other symptoms of celiac disease should talk to a doctor. It may or may not be celiac disease, but a doctor can help sort this out and will usually order a screening blood test.

If the screening tests show a person might have celiac disease, the next stop usually is to see a gastroenterologist, a doctor who treats digestive problems. This specialist may decide to take a sample of the small intestine to look at under the microscope. This small sample is called a biopsy. If a biopsy is done, the doctor will give some special medicine to help the person stay comfortable during the procedure.

How Is Celiac Disease Treated?

Celiac disease is treated by not eating gluten. This can be hard because gluten is in many foods, but a dietitian can help adjust someone's diet to cut out gluten. It is important not to start a gluten-free diet unless you are truly diagnosed with celiac disease.

Following a gluten-free diet allows the small intestine to heal. But that doesn't mean the person can start eating gluten again. For someone with celiac disease, gluten will always irritate the intestines and, if this happens, the diarrhea, belly pain, and other problems will return.

If you're diagnosed with celiac disease, it can be a challenge to learn which foods contain gluten. You may not be able to remember them all, but you can keep a list with you and ask about menu items at restaurants before digging in. Before you know it, you'll be a pro at knowing which foods are safe and which are not.

Gluten-Free Foods

Here's a quick quiz: Which of these foods contain gluten?

• pizza
• fried chicken
• pasta

If you said all three, you're right! Pizza was the easiest choice because you know the crust is bread. But did you know that battered foods like fried chicken and even some French fries contain gluten? Pasta also contains gluten because it is made from wheat. Luckily, you can make or buy gluten-free pizza crust, make fried chicken with a gluten-free batter, and find gluten-free pasta. In fact, nearly all of the foods we eat can be made gluten free.

Besides foods that contain gluten, you'll need to watch out for foods that may have been contaminated with gluten. This is called "cross-contamination." It means a food doesn't contain gluten as an ingredient but came into contact with gluten-containing foods. This is most likely to happen at home in your own kitchen — for instance, wheat bread crumbs in the toaster, the butter, or jar of peanut butter.

If you have celiac disease you will need your own toaster and you should also have separate spreads and condiments to avoid cross-contamination. Some foods are contaminated during processing, so your mom or dad can help you by finding certified gluten-free foods. For instance, gluten-free oats are now available for people with celiac disease.

The best approach is to read labels. Food labels must say if they're wheat-free products. But a "wheat-free" food isn't necessarily a "gluten-free" one because wheat-free products may have barley and rye (gluten-containing grains) in them.

What Else Should I Know?

Getting used to a gluten-free diet can be hard at first. But over time, you will get to know which foods are OK and which are not, making it easier to find safe meals, snacks, and ingredients.

Remember that you’re not alone with these dietary problems. This website for kids can help too:

• Beyond Celiac

Reviewed by: Jolanda M. Denham, MD

Date reviewed: January 2021

Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease in Kids: A Simple Guide

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Awareness about gluten and gluten intolerance is increasing as we learn more about nutrition and health. Approximately 1% of people in the United States have celiac disease, but up to an additional 6% of the population may have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Figuring out how your child’s body reacts to gluten and what to do if they have a gluten intolerance can prevent many headaches (literally and figuratively).

This guide will give you the basic information you need to know about different gluten intolerances, how they’re diagnosed, and how to support your child with a gluten-free diet.

Gluten is the major storage protein complex of wheat, and makes up approximately 85-90% of the protein content of a wheat kernel (commonly known as a wheat berry).

As a protein complex, gluten is made up of hundreds of proteins but it mainly contains gliadin and glutenin.

Gluten is naturally found in:

• Wheat
• Wheatberries
• KAMUT® Khorasan wheat
• Einkorn wheat
• Emmer
• Durum
• Semolina
• Spelt
• Farina
• Farro
• Graham
• Rye
• Barley
• Triticale
• Malt
• Brewer’s yeast
• Wheat starch

These grains are used in a variety of foods. Foods commonly made with these ingredients include (but are not limited to):

• Breads
• Pastries
• Noodles
• Pastas
• Baked goods
• Crackers
• Cereal
• Granola
• Biscuits
• Waffles and pancakes
• Panko breadcrumbs
• Croutons

Not all sources of gluten are obvious—gluten and wheat are common additives to foods, cosmetics and medications.

Gluten is often added to processed foods and medications for many reasons. It is a heat stable ingredient that can act as a binder (holding ingredients together), add to a food’s nutritional value, or add to the bulk of a food or medicine.

Foods and condiments that may have added gluten or wheat include:

• Sauces and gravies
• Pre-seasoned meats
•  Processed meats
• Soups
• Salad dressings and marinades
• Meat substitutes made with seitan
• Brown rice syrup

Cosmetics (including lip balm), oral care products, supplements, and various medications may also contain traces of gluten.

Gluten intolerance in kids starts with the inability to fully digest gluten proteins in the digestive tract.

Gliadin and glutenin are rich in the amino acid proline, which is difficult for many protein enzymes produced by the stomach, pancreas and intestines to break down.

Gliadin can temporarily increase gut permeability, which isn’t an issue in most people. However, during celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, gliadin fragments can pass through the gut barrier and cause inflammation.

Gluten intolerance increases the infiltration of intraepithelial lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, that can infiltrate into the gut barrier.

These lymphocytes can trigger both innate immune response (a general immune response) and/or adaptive immune responses (targeted to specific foreign substances) in the gut.

Depending on what kind of gluten intolerance your child has (wheat allergy, celiac disease, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity), the response to gluten will be different.

Wheat allergies may cause typical symptoms of allergies including difficulty breathing, hives, irritation of the mouth or throat, headaches, and nasal congestion in addition to gastrointestinal symptoms.

The common symptoms of celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity are detailed later in this article, but include gastrointestinal and extraintestinal (outside of the gut) symptoms.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that causes an immune response to the ingestion of gluten that attacks both gluten and the cells of the intestine.

A child can develop celiac disease shortly after the introduction of gluten into the diet within the first year of life, but celiac disease can manifest at any time during childhood.

As mentioned before, gliadin is difficult for our bodies to digest. In the development of celiac disease, gliadin is partially broken down, then transported to the gut mucosa.

Once these gluten fragments are there, an enzyme called tissue transglutaminase (tTG or TG-2) modifies them so that our immune cells think it is a toxin (or antigen).

The body creates antibodies to protect against the gluten fragments, but it also creates autoantibodies against the tissue transglutaminase in our gut mucosa.

Continuing to eat gluten after this immune response can result in long-term damages to the gut. In celiac disease, the adaptive immune response activates and spreads throughout the gut to increase inflammation, malabsorption, and other systemic issues.

Villi, which are the small, finger-like projections on the gut that increase the absorption of nutrients, shrink or flatten in response to this inflammation. This makes it more difficult for your body to absorb nutrients into the body.

At the same time, crypt cells, which provide stem cells to renew the epithelial layer of the intestines, generate rapidly in an attempt to make up for villi losses.

The main difference between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity is the involvement of the immune system.

Celiac disease is characterized by a specific autoimmune response that causes the body to attack gluten proteins as if they are toxins.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is classically defined as a reaction to gluten in which neither autoimmune or allergic mechanisms are involved.

However, a 2020 study suggests that non-celiac gluten sensitivity may be caused by a combination of an innate immune response that differs from celiac disease and weakened intestinal permeability.

Some symptoms of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity overlap, such as the gastrointestinal symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, and bowel movement abnormalities (diarrhea, constipation). Fatigue may also be a common side effect between the two conditions.

However, celiac disease does cause extensive damage to the villi of the intestinal tract and can have the manifestation of other extra intestinal symptoms.

The development of celiac disease in children can be attributed to two major categories: genetics and environment.

Children who carry the genes for HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 are significantly more likely to develop celiac disease compared to those who don’t.

Other genetic factors that influence the development of the protective layer of the intestines and immune system may also impact risk of celiac disease development.

Children with type-1 diabetes or other autoimmune conditions, IgA deficiency, a family history of celiac disease, or female gender at birth may also have a greater likelihood of developing celiac disease.

The main environmental factor in celiac disease is the introduction of wheat or gluten into the diet.

Introducing gluten into the diet too early can be a contributing factor to the development of celiac disease.

During early infancy, the immune system and gastrointestinal system are still immature and require development to tolerate solid foods.

Introduction of gluten-containing grains within the first 3 months of life has been associated with risk of autoantibodies against gluten and wheat. This risk decreases if you wait to introduce gluten-containing foods until at least 4 to 6 months of age.

The American Academy of Pediatricians current infant feeding guidelines recommend waiting until after 6 months to introduce solid foods to the diet.

If your child does have a confirmed HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 genotype, then it may be beneficial to delay the introduction of gluten into the diet until after your child has reached 5 years old.

Other potential triggers of celiac disease include viral infections, tissue damage, early termination of breastfeeding.

The answer to this depends on what form of gluten intolerance you’re talking about.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that you can manage, but will never outgrow. Once diagnosed with celiac disease, it is recommended to follow a life-long gluten free diet.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a majority of children with a wheat allergy will likely grow out of their allergy by adolescence. Though a sizable number of individuals will have persistent wheat allergies into adulthood.

Research suggests that non-celiac gluten sensitivity can be transient and outgrown. To see if your child has outgrown their gluten intolerance, your doctor will likely recommend for them to follow a gluten-free diet for 12 to 14 months.  Then have their gluten tolerance tested again.

The first step to determining if your child has a gluten intolerance is to see if they have any symptoms. Gluten intolerance in kids can manifest a variety of symptoms depending on their age.

Infants and toddlers primarily have gastrointestinal symptoms with gluten intolerances such as vomiting, abdominal distention, diarrhea with smelly stools, and bloating. Additional symptoms may include poor growth or failure to thrive and irritability.

Young, school-aged children may still have some gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal distention, and stomach pain. These children may also experience dental issues, weight loss, difficulty gaining weight, or short stature.

Adolescents and teenagers may exhibit more symptoms that are related to nutrient deficiencies and growth delays. Common symptoms include weight loss, stunted growth, delayed puberty, chronic fatigue, headaches, skin rashes, mood disorders, and mouth sores.

If your child is exhibiting some of these symptoms after eating certain wheat or gluten-containing foods, then it may be necessary to get a formal assessment of their gluten tolerance.

Wheat allergies are confirmed by skin prick tests for allergies and serum IgE antibodies to wheat allergens, followed by a gluten challenge.

Celiac disease is confirmed by presence of TG2-specific (transglutaminase 2) autoantibodies and endomysial antibodies (IgA EMA), as well as biopsy results showing villous atrophy within the small intestine.

Anti-gliadin antibody tests can also help confirm celiac disease in individuals with negative TG2-specific antibody tests.

Diagnosis of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), also known as non-celiac wheat sensitivity, is somewhat more difficult compared to other gluten intolerance conditions.

Your child will have to go through a series of tests to rule out celiac disease and wheat allergy before a diagnosis of NGCS is confirmed.

Because the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and NCGS tend to overlap, a gluten challenge may be needed to confirm diagnosis, especially if you have not already eliminated gluten from their diet.

In a gluten challenge, your child will follow a gluten-free diet for approximately 6 to 8 weeks. After the gluten-free period, there is an intentional reintroduction of a certain amount of gluten.

If your child has a positive response (reduction of symptoms) during the gluten-free period with a return of symptoms after reintroduction of gluten, then your child will likely be diagnosed with NCGS.

Gluten challenges are discouraged in children under the age of 5 years or in their pubertal growth spurt. But it still may be recommended in children already following a gluten free diet in absence of a formal work-up of celiac disease.

Children already following a gluten-free diet without celiac disease diagnosis can receive genetic testing for alleles that show a genetic predisposition for celiac disease.

Other tests can be used to exclude a celiac disease diagnosis and increase likelihood to be diagnosed with NCGS. Participation in a randomized placebo-controlled trial with gluten can further confirm NCGS.

A diagnosis of NCGS does not rule out the possibility of your child having irritable bowel syndrome due to overlap in FODMAP intolerances.

We currently have an imperfect system to determine NCGS compared to the laboratory markers and tests that can confirm celiac disease and wheat allergy, but it is a good start.

Researchers continue to look for specific biological markers that can consistently diagnose NCGS.

Currently, the only available treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. A gluten free diet for kids significantly decreases symptoms and can decrease risk for long-term complications.

It may take between 12 to 24 months of a gluten-free diet for a child’s gut to repair itself and symptoms to improve.

If symptoms of celiac disease do not improve even after following a gluten free diet for 1 to 2 years, then a gluten contamination elimination diet may be implemented. This elimination diet consists of only fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and limited condiments.

Your child’s gastroenterologist may also offer an immunosuppressant medication to help moderate the autoimmune response of celiac disease.

If your child has celiac disease, they should be monitored by a gastroenterologist and a registered dietitian to navigate a gluten-free diet.

Because children with celiac disease have damage to the intestinal tract that may decrease absorption of nutrients, regular monitoring of nutrient levels through lab testing should be done.

Transitioning to a gluten free diet when your kid is newly diagnosed with a gluten intolerance can seem intimidating. But there is actually a lot of variety in a gluten free diet for kids.

To start, there are food groups when purchased in their fresh and natural forms, that are inherently gluten free:

• Meat and poultry
• Beans, legumes and nuts
• Fish and seafood
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Dairy
• Else nutrition products

Looking at gluten-free grains for cooking and baking, you also have several options:

• Quinoa
• Millet
• Rice
• Teff
• Amaranth
• Flax
• Tapioca
• Sorghum
• Gluten-free oats
• Nut-based flours
• Corn (as cornmeal, grits, polenta, hominy)
• Buckwheat (despite the name, it doesn’t contain wheat)

Though all of these are gluten free, you do want to exercise caution with oats.

Oats can easily be subject to cross-contamination with gluten-containing grains. If your kid does enjoy eating oatmeal, be sure to purchase a brand that specifically says that it is gluten-free.

Packaged foods can be a bit trickier when trying to find gluten free food for kids, but there are some simple tricks that can make your search easier:

First, check to see if your food is labeled as gluten free. The FDA only allows manufacturers to label their foods as “gluten-free” if a serving of the food contains less than 20ppm of gluten.

Your second step is to check the allergen listing. Because wheat is one of the top eight allergens in the United States, the FDA requires a clear warning that a food contains wheat.

If wheat is not listed on the label, you should still check for other gluten-containing ingredients.

Rye and barley are examples of gluten-containing ingredients that aren’t major allergens. Packaged foods are required to list all ingredients used to make a product, so you should be able to find any gluten ingredients.

While you’re looking at the ingredients label, you should also check for any chances of cross-contamination. Manufacturers will note if a product may contain traces of wheat or were processed in facilities that also process wheat and other gluten-containing grains.

Some companies go the extra mile and get their foods tested by a third-party to guarantee that their foods are gluten free.

NSF International, the Gluten Intolerance Group, and Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS) are examples of companies that have gluten-free certification programs for brands.

Online databases from these companies can help you find certified gluten-free foods. The Celiac Disease Foundation also offers a product finder database on their website.

If you’re on the go and want to find gluten free snack or gluten free lunch for kids, there are apps you can download to search databases to check if products are gluten free.

Gluten intolerance in kids can be difficult to navigate as a parent at first, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

If your child has a potential risk for celiac disease or you’ve recognized signs and symptoms of gluten intolerance, a proper diagnosis can help you understand what’s going on inside.

Be sure to bring up your concerns about your child’s potential gluten intolerance with their pediatrician. The sooner they are seen, the better their outcomes and quality of life will be.

Depending on what form of gluten intolerance your child has, a gluten-free lifestyle may be temporary or a life-long journey.

No matter how long your kid requires a gluten-free diet, they will always have options for delicious foods and supplements to get the nutrition they need.

Else Nutrition offers plant powered toddler formulas and nutrition shakes for kids that fit perfectly into a gluten free diet. Else products are made with minimally processed whole foods including organic buckwheat, tapioca and almonds and contain 20 vitamins and minerals to support their healthy growth.

The content and advice provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis, treatment, advice for specific medical conditions. Always consult a pediatrician to understand the individual needs of your child.

Children and gluten: how to understand that the baby has intolerance and what to do - Parents.

About nutrition

found in grains of wheat, rye, oats and barley, and consists of two fractions - gliadin and glutenin. And it is gliadin that can be perceived by the immune system as a foreign protein. In this case, children develop an allergy to gluten. It can be temporary or permanent. In the first case, gluten intolerance may go away with age. In the second, especially if the child is diagnosed with celiac disease, the crumbs will have to follow a gluten-free diet for the rest of their lives.

Symptoms

Gluten allergy in children has certain symptoms. It is possible to determine that a child has gluten intolerance after the baby is introduced to infant formulas, which include wheat flour, as well as wheat, oatmeal, multi-cereal porridge and flour products. Moreover, the body can respond to gluten both immediately and after 3-12 weeks.

In case of allergies, the mother notices that the buttocks and anus of the baby are reddening, finds mucus in the baby's stool. In advanced cases, streaks of blood may appear in the baby's stool. In addition, the child may resume intestinal colic, begin increased gas formation, regurgitation, diarrhea or constipation. In this case, the skin can remain clean.

With celiac disease, the child's stool becomes plentiful and thin, it is difficult to wash the buttocks and the potty from it. At the same time, the baby begins to lose weight, lag behind in growth and psychomotor development, his stomach increases in size. In addition, the baby develops rickets and signs of vitamin and microelement deficiency.

Whereas in normal food intolerance gluten only irritates the intestinal walls, in celiac disease the intestines cannot digest this protein at all and the functioning of the entire digestive tract is disturbed.

Making a diagnosis

The child must be shown to a pediatrician, an allergist and a gastroenterologist. A stool test, a blood test for allergens and celiac disease will help to make a diagnosis. If celiac disease is suspected, gastroscopy and a biopsy of the intestinal wall are also performed.

When an allergy is detected, gluten is removed from the baby's menu for 6 months, later, under the supervision of a doctor, they try to renew acquaintance with him. The usual diet for gluten allergy involves avoiding:

• cereals and any other dishes made from oats, wheat, rye and barley;

• bread, pasta;

• pastries, biscuits;

• yoghurts;

• sausages;

• hot spices and sauces.

Photo

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Favorable prognosis

Celiac disease is a very serious disease, but with early and timely diagnosis, as well as strict adherence to a diet throughout life, the prognosis will be favorable.

The main thing in case of celiac disease and severe allergy to gluten is to completely exclude it from the daily menu of crumbs . Therefore, you need to carefully read the labels and study the composition of the products. A gluten-free diet does not involve giving up cereals, bread and sweets. From cereals, buckwheat, rice, corn, gluten-free oatmeal are allowed. Try also to introduce your child to flaxseed porridge. Bread can be made from buckwheat, corn, rice and amaranth flour. Your assistant will be a home bread maker with the "gluten-free bread" function. Treats include homemade gluten-free oatmeal banana cookies and corn sticks.

More useful materials about the health of babies - in our channel on Yandex.Zen.

Svetlana Lyuboshits

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Celiac disease and gluten allergy in babies

Celiac disease can develop in early childhood, usually around six months of age, after the baby is weaned and fed a diet containing gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks gluten with gut-damaging antibodies, resulting in symptoms such as stomach pain and stunted growth.

Learn everything you need to know about celiac disease in babies, including symptoms and signs, treatment, and what to do if your baby has celiac disease.

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Is it possible for an infant to have celiac disease or gluten intolerance?

About one in 100 people suffer from celiac disease and can develop at any time after introducing wheat or other foods containing gluten into a baby's diet. This usually happens between the ages of 6 and 9.months. Scientists are trying to figure out whether the timing or method of introducing gluten into the diet can help prevent the development of celiac disease.

Some children may develop this condition very quickly after first eating gluten, while others may not show symptoms for several years.

Will my child have celiac disease?

Celiac disease is a hereditary disease. If the mother, father, brother or sister of an infant has celiac disease, the chance that the child will also have this disease is one in ten. In such cases, it is extremely important to check the child for the first possible signs of celiac disease.

As far as breastfeeding is concerned, it appears to be very rare in infants who have not yet begun to eat solid foods. However, according to some studies, a certain amount of gluten can be transmitted through breast milk if the mother eats products containing gluten. In fact, many doctors believe that the small amount that infants receive through breast milk is more useful as a first limited dose. gluten.

Celiac disease is also more common in children with Down syndrome, type 1 diabetes, or other autoimmune diseases.

Signs and symptoms of celiac disease in babies

Babies with celiac disease respond to gluten in a variety of ways in terms of the severity of symptoms and the timing of their onset. For some children, symptoms appear minutes or hours after eating gluten, and such symptoms may resolve fairly quickly. For others, symptoms may develop slowly over several days to several weeks. Many children have mild symptoms that are easy to miss, such as gas, abdominal pain, constipation, or diarrhea. Other babies may have more severe and longer-lasting symptoms, including growth retardation or weight loss.

Other symptoms of celiac disease in infants to watch out for include vomiting, bloating, irritability or lack of interest in play, and foul-smelling bowel movements.

What should I do if my baby has symptoms of celiac disease?

If your child has any of the symptoms listed above, you should discuss this with your pediatrician. Perhaps he will recommend taking certain tests to find out what the problem might be. It is important not to change the child's diet at this stage, as tests for celiac disease will not give correct results if gluten is excluded from the diet.

Celiac disease is usually diagnosed in two stages. First, a blood test is done to detect antibodies produced by the immune system in response to gluten. If this test is positive, a biopsy is taken from the child's intestines using an endoscope (a probe with a light and a camera) that is inserted into the body.

Don't panic if your child is diagnosed with celiac disease. Infants generally tolerate treatment with a gluten-free diet easily. Most children feel much better after two weeks of this diet, height and weight return to normal. Celiac disease is considered to be one of the most underdiagnosed diseases, and it is likely that many more people suffer from it who do not realize it. Diagnosing celiac disease opens the way to recovery through strict adherence to a gluten-free diet, while ignorance of the problem can lead to other lifelong complications.

Celiac disease in infants, children and adults cannot be cured. At the same time, there are cases when babies had temporary problems with gluten caused by an intestinal infection. This condition is known as temporary gluten intolerance.

Celiac disease, intolerance and sensitivity

Image

Celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy in infants and people of all ages are often confused. All of these lead to some form of grain protein intolerance, and the symptoms can be very similar.

Non-celiac gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity (NCGS) are terms used to describe the condition of people who are intolerant of gluten and experience symptoms similar to celiac disease, but without the characteristic damage to the intestines. Gluten sensitivity is observed approximately 18 million people in the United States - this is six times more than the number of people with celiac disease. The symptoms of NCGS may come and go, but celiac disease persists for life.

A wheat allergy is an allergic reaction to foods containing wheat. This reaction can result from eating wheat and, in some cases, from inhaling wheat flour. Wheat allergies are common in children, but many outgrow them.

Treatment of celiac disease in children

The only treatment for celiac disease is a strict 100% gluten-free diet that must be followed for life. It is important to transition your child to a gluten-free diet as soon as possible to relieve symptoms and allow the small intestine to heal.

For information about a gluten-free diet and advice on how to feed your child well, contact a specialist association or local support group. It's also important to make sure that everyone who cares for your child, including family members, friends, and teachers, knows about your child's condition.

How to prevent the development of celiac disease in a child

As far as we know at the moment, it is not possible to prevent the development of coeliacs in a child. At the same time, medical research has begun to identify variables that can affect whether a child with a genetic predisposition will develop this disease.

Several studies suggest that breastfeeding may play a protective role. It is thought that, in some cases, longer breastfeeding during the introduction of gluten in solid foods may reduce the risk of developing celiac disease. Several studies suggest that the best time to introduce gluten into a baby's diet is between four and six months, preferably in conjunction with breastfeeding. Research in this area is ongoing and little is known about how much gluten should be given to a baby at during the “window of opportunity” period (5-6 months). For now, experts agree that gluten should be introduced into the diet before the age of seven months.

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