When To Get Tested

[dionnek]

I was recently diagnosed with celiac (through biopsy and blood tests from 2 different doctors) and have a 19 month old daughter. I was wondering if she needs to be tested and is so, when (what age)? She is not malnurished (she is in the 90th % for height and 50% for weight) and she only gets sick (vomitting) occasionally - nothing more than the average toddler. She does have boughts of constipation that will last for a few days, and when she finally gets it out it is so big and hard that no wonder it hurts (she will cry nonstop for days until it comes out - even laxatives don't help). I've asked my dr. if she needs to be tested and he said no since she is "thriving", but the constipation concerns me. Any suggestions as to what to look for and when she should get tested?

[Guest nini]

I was dx'ed when my daughter was 3, and even though my daughter was not thriving, the specialists still refused to acknowledge she could have this, so, I have very little faith in the medical communities ability to correctly screen for this and dx in small children.

With the help of my daughter's pediatrician, we simply put her on the gluten-free diet for a 3 week trial period to see if it would help her symptoms (and yes constipation was one of her symptoms alternating with diarrhea) as well as mood changes and violent behavior. Within ONE week of her being on the diet, she was a completely different child.

My recommendation would be to talk about this with your daughter's pediatrician, and tell them you just want to try the diet and see if it helps with her constipation. Hopefully they will go along with you.

The odds of her having it since you do are pretty darn high, and my personal opinion would be to keep her gluten free just to make it simpler on yourself to feed her what you are eating rather than having to prepare separate meals. A gluten free diet is a healthy diet, don't let anyone tell you it's not!

[Guest elysealec]

I was recently diagnosed with celiac (through biopsy and blood tests from 2 different doctors) and have a 19 month old daughter. I was wondering if she needs to be tested and is so, when (what age)? She is not malnurished (she is in the 90th % for height and 50% for weight) and she only gets sick (vomitting) occasionally - nothing more than the average toddler. She does have boughts of constipation that will last for a few days, and when she finally gets it out it is so big and hard that no wonder it hurts (she will cry nonstop for days until it comes out - even laxatives don't help). I've asked my dr. if she needs to be tested and he said no since she is "thriving", but the constipation concerns me. Any suggestions as to what to look for and when she should get tested?

I was diagnosed and subsequently had my children tested. The one child who was positive was 9.5 lbs at birth and had been thriving her entire life yet the biopsy results showed substantial damage. I have spoken To Dr. Ivor Hill at Wakeforest Baptist Hospital about the constipation issue though and he said constipation was not a usual sign for a child, more so in an adult. I had this question for one of my other children who tested negative yet has bouts with constipation. Dr. Hill is a pediatric GI who specializes in Celiac Disease. I have also been told any tests are inconclusive under two. Good luck.

[dionnek]

Thanks. I will talk to her pediatrician about it and definitely watch her. I've read something else about waiting until they are 3 to have them tested - I'm thinking I'd definitely like to have her tested then if not sooner so I know if she has the tendency to ever get this condition.

[TCA]

I hope you can find a dr. that will work for you. My son had blood work which was inconclusive, and 2 negative biopsies. Everyone has to make thier own decisions, but the testing under 5 is very inconclusive. I put him on the diet and his is now thriving. A dietary trial might be good at the young age.