2 Year Old With Gluten Issues

[verdemomma]

I'm looking for advice. Earlier this year I discovered I was gluten intolerant. I never had the test, but the difference in me was enough that I didn't feel it necessary, I'll never go near it again. 

 

My son, who's closing in on 2.5 and is not yet communicating enough with us to help in diagnosing him, has had tummy issues his whole life. I ate a very restrictive diet while breastfeeding to keep his colic at bay, he had Eczema and Keratosis Pilaris. Also before we tried removing gluten a few months ago, I could count the number of "semi solid" diapers on one hand. nUpon removing gluten the first time, his poops sometimes became firm and became more regular, and his skin cleared up nicely. When I tested taking him off, I was surpised not to see any issues right away, so I thought maybe it was a coincodence. But within a week, he was back to "normal" messy poops all day and his skin slowly getting red. So I took him off again, but he got Croup at Christmas, and the next two weeks, his poops were like before.

 

So, I put him back on gluten, I didn't know if it was still messed up from being sick or if it was all just a fluke anyways. It's a week later, and his legs are so red. He's scared to pull his underwear up and down over them and says 'ow' when we do, and his having accidents instead. I sent a picture of his legs to a girlfriend of mine who is a diagnosed celiac, who has been all along going, you don't want to put him through the tests to find out. And now she's had a change of heart, and is saying maybe you should get him tested. I've heard so many stories about the tests coming back negative, and we don't really have any expendable money. Should I take him in to be tested? His poops still weren't all firm, and still often very mush when it worked. So part of me is nervous that maybe there is some damage. But this young?

 

Any opinions?

[bartfull]

Well, celiac DOES run in families, and since you feel better gluten-free, my opinion if that BOTH of you likely have celiac. I think if it were me, I would have him tested. If the blood tests come back positive, I don't think there is any need for a biopsy. It depends on what your doctor thinks. These are the blood tests you should ask for:

 

tTG IgA and tTG IgG

DGP IgA and DGP IgG

EMA IgA

total serum IgA control test

AGA IgA and AGA IgG (older less reliable tests)

 

And if it turns out he DOES have celiac, you can rest assured that you do too. That means you will have to be scrupulous about cross-contamination. Go to the newbie 101 thread in the coping section here and read about how to avoid it. Then ask as many questions as come to mind.

[NoGlutenCooties]

Hi and Welcome to the Forum!  I agree with Bartfull in that I think it would be a good idea to get the blood test done.  At that age, your son can't tell you what's going on, where it hurts, how he feels, etc.  It does sound to me like you both have Celiac, but if it were me I'd err on the side of caution and get him tested to make sure.  I would be afraid of assuming it's Celiac and finding out later it was actually something else that has now gone untreated.  I'm also thinking that it may help once he starts school... if you have an official diagnosis they can't argue with you about him having to be gluten-free.