Problems With Diaper Rash = Celiac?

[hapi2bgf]

Does this sound like celiacs to you? If your baby developed Celiacs under 2 yrs old, can you write what happened that you knew it was Celiacs.

My daughter never tolerated regular formula and had colic symptoms from the start. She was nursed for about 8 months getting one bottle of soy formula daily. She got all the glutens by 6 months and was eating table foods happily. At 9 months she dropped 30 % in height and weight. About the same time the diaper rash started. It's been three months and the rash only gets under control at times. Tried fungal meds and all forms of creams and nothing resolves the problem for good.

About a month ago I started keeping a food and rash diary. It appears that she gets a terrible diaper rash 24 hrs after consuming gluten. There have been a few instances where she had the gluten and absolutley nothing else weird that day. She was not on a strict gluten-free diet at this point. Recently we have tried to keep her gluten-free to see if the rash clears. The rash clears and then comes back. Right now we are using a new round of fungal meds (topical and oral). I can track exactly when she eats a piece of toast (not gluten-free) and the next day there is a rash. My problem there are other days that she has not had anything bad that I know of and yet we have a terrible rash. Typically, along with the rash is diahhrea.

Overall she is happy and moving right along developmentally. She walked at 9 mths. Now she is running, climbing, trying to talk, pointing, etc. So she is not really a sickly baby although has upset sickish days here and there, but she eats only gluten-free baby food right now. Very few table foods.

(I have Celiacs, but no one else in our immediate family has it.)

[Smunkeemom]

Annika used to get really really bad rashes, but once she was gluten free they went away. Her doctor said that she wasn't absorbing her food right because of the damage in her intestines and that there was some stuff left in her poop that was irritating to skin (I don't remember the exact word for it, but it was some type of digestive acid) I just grossed you out right? sorry.

[jerseyangel]

Smunkeemom--Not at all! I actually get the "adult" version--when I was sick, and even now when I get a gluten reaction, I can tell that things are more acid. I didn't mean to take the discusson in a different direction, I've never seen this adressed before Thanks!

[Smunkeemom]

oh, and when I said really bad rash it was really bad, it would bleed, people thought I was abusing the kid by not changing her diaper until I saw the doctor about celiac, she said it's a normal thing when celiacs get glutened. Do you think your kid accidentally got some? or maybe got cross contaminated? my girls can have a full blown reaction from even a little cross contamination, a little bitty half of a peice of a crumb can make them just as sick as eating a box of gluten-full cookies.

[Guest Robbin]

It certainly sounds like celiac, but she could also have another problem with soy. My youngest child had the same symptoms with soy allergy. After each and every change, completely coat her bottom with desitin, not the cream, the ointment, and try omitting soy if you can. Both my kids had to give up soy, too. There are soy free/milk free options now. Mine were also allergic to goats' milk, but you might want to try that if her dr. ok's it. Hope I helped a little. (After I started diligently using the desitin and the tummy troubles calmed down, they never got diaper rash again--they got other rashes, but not on their little bottoms since it completely protected their skin from the acidic bowel movements/urine.) Good luck, she sounds sooo precious!

[mrsnj91]

I can't give expert advise as I am new here but I will say that diaper rash and diarrhea was my 1st key that something wasn't right. It would get bad like you mentioned and bleed. Since going gluten free-no rashes. Now if you didn't have any Celiac in your family I might suggest seeing an allergist 1st but since you are, then I would go right for the testing or gluten-free diet. It could be that the baby is getting gluten in something you wouldn't think about. Your food journal is going to be a big help there. Good luck!

[hapi2bgf]

Thanks for all your input. Today is her first birthday. She is sick again. The last two nights have meant no sleep for me.She was literally up all night one night and last night just for several hours. She is miserable and crying alot. It just maxes me out. No sleep and a screaming baby is not a good combo. Poor thing is just so upset.

So she has been on a new oral fungal med and a topical cream for about 5 days and her butt looks the same. She gets no gluten, but she mouths EVERYTHING she can so anything is possible. I just do not know what to do next for her.

We have another child with a food allergy so food allergies are still a possibility. This baby is on Soy formula because she is really upset on milk formula. I know she is old enough to start drinking milk, but I don't want to add anything new until the rash is gone and she looks stable. Her size is another issue. She still fits her 3-6 mths undershirts although most of the clothing she wears in 9 mth old. Her shoes are still the 3 mth size and she shows no signs of growing out of them.

Just maxed out today. Thanks again for your input and advice.

[Smunkeemom]

if your baby is still in the mouthing stage I would say it's pretty likely that she got cross contaminated. If I were you I would have a gluten room, and not allow gluten anywhere else in the house, and then don't let the baby go in the gluten room (like the kitchen would be good, because what's a baby gonna do in the kitchen) everyone needs to wash their hands before and after eating gluten, and make sure that you aren't contaminating any of the baby's stuff (like don't use your toast butter on her stuff because crumbs could get her)