Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Dr. Vikki Petersen D.C, C.C.N
    Dr. Vikki Petersen D.C, C.C.N

    Should You Put Your Child On A Gluten-Free Diet?

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Journal of Gluten Sensitivity Autumn 2012 Issue

    Should You Put Your Child On A Gluten-Free Diet? - Image: CC--Jay
    Caption: Image: CC--Jay

    Celiac.com 09/22/2017 - I run into many parents who are in quite a quandary about instituting a gluten-free diet for their child. A typical scenario is that one of the parents is gluten intolerant and is highly suspicious that their child is as well. Due to the child being 'relatively healthy' the non-gluten intolerant spouse suggests that the child be able to 'live a little' and enjoy the cake and pizza that is so prevalent during children's parties and sporting events.

    In my opinion, there is no question about whether a gluten-free diet should be implemented, after confirmation that gluten intolerance exists that is. I know that gluten intolerance vastly increases your risk of developing diseases that can affect almost any system and/or organ in the human body. The evidence shows that it vastly increases your risk for autoimmune disease. I also know that it can be rather silent in a younger body, but if a positive test exists, then it IS doing damage, regardless of whether it is felt or not.

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    To add a little more strength to my argument is the result of a recent study published by the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics wherein researchers aimed to evaluate the influence of celiac disease on the social aspects of life in those living in the U.S.

    Not surprisingly celiac disease did have a negative impact on the quality of life in social settings, specifically in the area of travel and dining out. However, and this is where I find that most people make their mistake with their children, the researchers found that 'those diagnosed in childhood and maintained on the diet experienced a reduced impact on their quality of life as an adult'.

    So it turns out that you aren't doing any favors to your at-risk child by putting off the implementation of a gluten-free diet. You're not only creating negative impacts health-wise, as mentioned above, but by delaying a gluten-free diet you are also condemning them to the perception of a lower quality of life.

    If you think about it, if gluten-free is pretty much all you've ever known, you would be less likely to miss it. You haven't built up the memories of gluten-containing cakes and pizzas and pancakes.

    Please do not put off testing your child because you think you're doing him or her a favor by putting it off. The truth is quite the contrary. Waiting could allow an autoimmune or other illness to develop that could have been avoided. There is absolutely NO benefit to one's health to continue eating gluten when one is gluten intolerant, and it turns out that there is no benefit psychologically either.

    Have you run into this argument from friends or family? Have you put off diagnosing a child because you were made to feel guilty? Please write to me and let me know your experiences and thoughts.

    To your good health.

     

    Reference:

    • Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. 2012 Feb 25. Living with coeliac disease: survey results from the USA. Volume 25, Issue 3, pages 233–238, June 2012


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Guest AWOL cast iron stomach

    Posted

    I am a 4th decade of life diagnosis and my earliest symptoms besides constipation was IC bladder issues present age 5. I remember begging my mom to take me to the doctor , nothing showed up, I cried as the symptoms continued. I truly didn't know what it was, but I knew something was wrong. It was a maddening bladder spasm that would not go away, my bladder was empty, and I could not stop the discomfort. My mom I know then believed me, but it showed nothing on tests what was it? I remember the mixture of concern and perplex on her face she very rarely shows in life. In time I learned to stop complaining, sit certain ways to create pressure that would reduce the spasm and discomfort. I learned to use the bathroom often to ensure my bladder was empty and would mind over matter the incessant spasm symptoms best I could. Since there was no explanation it was inferred I was an anxious child who was anxious about using the rest room. Fast forward more decades more symptoms piled on (including GI through accumulating into ones that would send me to Dr. & Hospital. I was diagnosed IBS in my early 20s. My husband was the first person to suggest bread was bad for me not a Dr., as for myself well you're told it's just you as a child and the programming self plays a lifetime so my self talk said the same. As my health declined I had testing in my 40s, awaiting my scope appointment months away,I did ask my children's Dr for a blood test celiac panel for each . She said no since I had not been diagnosed officially. Following my incomplete challenge (yes I went gluten-free once to see if it would help and it did I did not want to challenge). A bad error at a restaurant had me back at a Dr for official testing as arthritis now joined the club of my many celiac symptoms. We had to remove gluten from the home entirely now due to my very bad symptoms with cc after my challenge. When that was done my kids became gluten light my son quickly manifested my early symptoms when he had gluten, corn, and milk. My son knew, my husband the empirist, pointed out the news to me. Free of the offenders my son felt better, his skin, GI, and bladder improved. He had seen his mom attempt the gluten challenge and said no mom I don't want to do that when I offered to take him to a different Dr. He said mom why would I eat something that makes me sick to find damage? We know we what it is , I eat like you now. I do regret not knowing sooner for myself or my son. So many missed opportunities. He is 10 so I have read he has a higher prevalence of AI issues approximately 20 percent or so. He does very well with the diet and surprisingly has a discipline I would not expect a boy his age to have. I do wish I had known sooner for he and myself. I do worry about our daughter who says no I have no problems mom. We are entirely gluten-free free house and she knows my concerns for her should she find consuming gluten outside our home becomes a problem. My husband as the non gluten intolerant parent is completely supportive of the issue and does not force my son to have a regular diet. He feels our daughter is much better off being limited to a Whole Foods diet and not a typical SAD one. I'll never know what life would be like if diagnosed earlier nor do I know what awaits me on this journey having gone so long eating gluten. I have concerns that testing is below where it should be from technology and screening for the population and especially youth, but more parents seem aware about food allergies then decades before. I don't think celiac knowledge and awareness is where it should be yet. The SAD diet prevails, but more schools are supporting the Whole Foods treats and none or limited vending machines. Public health and time will show if this is larger than 1 percent and if not better and earlier screening at the minimum will come on the scene. I do hope children with this problem are detected earlier than myself and my son.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Ruslan

    Why everyone keeps saying that gluten-free diet is bad? Do you want just to keep in trend with others? Are you sure modern Gluten is good? Are you sure limiting Gluten in food is bad and will not prevent (delay) Celiac? Obviously you don't know. So just explain how to replace Gluten in our diet. If you want to help people, explain them that only missing thing with gluten-free are polysaccharides. Without them human microbiota becomes poor. So explain others where to get polysaccharides from food (for example chicory). That article would have some value. And please don't start about FOMAP's. That stuff people will get enough.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • About Me

    Dr. Vikki Petersen D.C, C.C.N

    Dr. Vikki Petersen, a Chiropractor and Certified Clinical Nutritionist is co-founder and co-director, of the renowned HealthNow Medical Center in Sunnyvale, California. Acclaimed author of a new book, "The Gluten Effect" - celebrated by leading experts as an epic leap forward in gluten sensitivity diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Vikki is acknowledged as a pioneer in advances to identify and treat gluten sensitivity. The HealthNOW Medical Center uses a multi-disciplined approach to addressing complex health problems. It combines the best of internal medicine, clinical nutrition, chiropractic and physical therapy to identify the root cause of a patient's health condition and provide patient-specific wellness solutions. Her Web site is:
    www.healthnowmedical.com


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Related Articles

    Yvonne Vissing Ph.D.
    Celiac.com 05/03/2016 - How do you know when your child has gluten sensitivity, gluten intolerance, or celiac disease? If gluten issues run in your family and you know there is a predisposition to having problems with gluten in foods, then you may be alert to signs that it has been passed on to your child. But if you and your biological family members never had problems with it, then you're not expecting gluten to be an issue. Children arrive with a complicated genetic past that we may not always have the details about. We may not know the health history of the families of our child's other parent, or even sometimes our own. We may not know if anyone had reactions to gluten. Because celiac and gluten sensitivities can appear as chameleons, genes for it may be masked as other health issues...


    Dr. Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.
    Celiac.com 07/19/2016 - We know that celiac disease afflicts almost 1% of the general population (1). We also know that about 12% of the general population has non-celiac gluten sensitivity, as indicated by elevated IgG class anti-gliadin antibodies in their blood (2). Although elevated antibodies identified by this test are often dismissed as "non-specific", they are clear evidence that the immune system is mounting a reaction against the most common food in our western diet. It is also true that many people who produce these antibodies and have then excluded gluten from their diets have also experienced improved health. Unfortunately, most of the individuals who have elevated IgG anti-gliadin antibodies and might benefit from avoiding gluten do not know that they are gluten sensitive...


    Jayci Drew
    Celiac.com 02/08/2017 - "What if the kid you bullied at school, grew up, and turned out to be the only surgeon who could save your life?" --Lynette Mather
    If you ask any high school senior what in their life has changed the most since kindergarten, statistics show that many would answer moving from one school to another. However, the more drastic of changes are seen such as illnesses diagnosed during these critical school ages. In 2009 I was diagnosed with celiac disease, and that diagnosis has impacted my life in both positive and negative ways for my past, present, and future time at Indiana Area High School and beyond. Personally I have had to deal with bullying because of my disabilities. Bullying by definition is the use of force or coercion to abuse or intimidate others. I along...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 05/30/2017 - Huff Post recently featured a good article on empowering kids with food allergies, including celiac disease.
    The article, by Miriam Pearl, suggests that parents seek to promote awareness and self-reliance in such children, rather than simply providing for them quietly and looking to protect them from allergens.
    The basic message is to help kids gain all the skills needed to manage their condition, rather than seeking to rescue them. Pearl writes that "The more practice [children] have managing themselves in the outside world the better they will get at it." She offers a number of useful tips to help parents along.
    First, she says, start early. It's never too early to let kids know what's going on, and what you're doing to help them maintain their health...


  • Recent Activity

    1. - CatherineWang replied to B1rdL0ver's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      40

      Dealing with constant nausea and just feeling awful.

    2. - cristiana replied to BunnyBrown's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      3

      Recently had my esophagus dilated

    3. - cristiana replied to twe0708's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      54

      How Long Do Celiac Patients Live?

    4. - Exchange Students replied to Exchange Students's topic in Parents, Friends and Loved Ones of Celiacs
      2

      Exchange Students who are celiac in need of host

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Exchange Students's topic in Parents, Friends and Loved Ones of Celiacs
      2

      Exchange Students who are celiac in need of host


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      120,167
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Usedtolovebread
    Newest Member
    Usedtolovebread
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Popular Now

    • Sunflowers06
      6
    • Momkaren
      10
    • Elizabeth M Blair
      5
    • B1rdL0ver
    • twe0708
      54
  • Popular Articles

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
  • Upcoming Events

×
×
  • Create New...