But if your child has celiac disease, there are ways to manage symptoms and prevent damage to the intestines. Celiac disease — also known as celiac sprue, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, and non-tropical sprue — can cause a wide variety of symptoms. Infants may not gain weight and length as expected, a condition called failure to thrive. Older kids can have:. Symptoms can happen at any time in a child's life. Some kids have problems the first time they have gluten, but others get symptoms years after safely consuming gluten products.
A baby might show the first signs of celiac disease soon after starting solid foods such as cereal. Signs might include diarrhea, stomach pain, and not gaining weight at a healthy pace. Over time, a child might not reach the expected height, may develop anemia and mouth sores, and can have behavior issues. In celiac disease, gluten triggers the immune system to damage villi. Villi VIL-eye are finger-like projections lining the small intestine that absorb nutrients from food and send them into the bloodstream.
Damaged villi can't absorb the vitamins and minerals that a child needs to grow. It tends to run in families, so a child with a family history of the condition may be more likely to get it. It also can happen along with other disorders, such as Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, type 1 diabetes, and autoimmune thyroid disorders. Antibodies are proteins the immune system makes that recognize and get rid of germs and other things it sees as threats.
They usually stay in our bodies in case we have to fight that germ or problem again. If the blood test finds high levels of antibodies to gluten, the doctor probably will do a biopsy of the small intestine to send for testing. To do a biopsy, doctors put a long, thin tube called an endoscope through the mouth and stomach into the small intestine to get a small tissue sample.
A child usually is sedated or under general anesthesia to sleep through the procedure. If a child is diagnosed with celiac disease, their siblings, parents, and grandparents should get tested too. They could have the disease but no symptoms. There is no cure for celiac disease. Researchers are working on new treatments, and many show promise. But for now, the condition is managed with a gluten-free diet.
Fact: It is nearly impossible to completely remove all traces of gluten from your diet. Research shows that most people with celiac disease can tolerate up to 20 ppm parts per million of gluten in their diet. Myth 5: Kids with celiac disease have to use gluten free soap, shampoo and lotion.
Fact: Gluten cannot be absorbed through the skin, but parents need to be aware of hygiene products that are easily ingestible, especially when bathing younger children.
Fact: It is possible for celiac-safe foods to be produced alongside foods that contain gluten, as long as the facility follows appropriate sourcing, cleaning, storage, production and testing procedures. Myth 7: A gluten-free diet can help treat autism. Fact: The Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network ATN investigated these claims and found insufficient evidence of clear benefit when switching children with autism to a gluten-free diet.
It is important to not self-diagnose celiac disease in your child. Our experts can test and provide an accurate diagnosis and put your child on the proper path to treatment. The immune system mistakenly targets 'friends,' like foods or even healthy organs and tissue.
When a person has celiac disease, the body's immune system overreacts in response to gluten, damaging the small intestine and reducing its ability to absorb nutrients. The underlying cause of celiac disease appears to be based, in part, on a person's genetic makeup. Research has found that celiac disease tends to run in families, and some gene types increase a person's risk for developing the disease. There's more involved than just genetics, though. Most people who have the gene types that put them at risk for celiac disease never develop the disorder, while others begin having symptoms early in life, and still others are not affected until their 60s or older.
Conditions that put a person's immune system on high alert may activate the disease. For example, some research suggests that certain infections, particularly gastroenteritis, could spark the immune system response associated with celiac disease. The disease is more common in children delivered by cesarean section. Pregnancy also may play a role. Some women develop the disease several months after giving birth.
When celiac disease begins, the most common symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal pain or bloating, especially after meals. People with celiac disease may lose weight because their bodies are not able to absorb enough nutrients from food.
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