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Reaction To Breastfeeding

Fleur

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Fleur Newbie
Fleur
Posted

Hi,

I am new here, so I don't know if I'm posting this in the right place. Also I am from the Netherlands where I can't get an answer to my question, so I hope you'll be able to help me.

For as far as I know I do not have gluten intolerance, but I think that maybe my son was born with it. Almost from the moment he was born he was having colics. I tried leaving everything out of my diet (milk, herbs, cabbage etc except bread) but nothing seemed to help. I never once considered that it might be celiac disease because there is hardly any documentation on it (except that breastfeeding helps prevent it). After 4 months I was dead tired and switched to hypo-allergenic formula. From then on he was a very happy baby.

So, my question is: have any of you had babies with colics and did they later turn out to have celiac disease?

Greets from Fleur

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Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted

You CAN pass gliadin in breast milk, I just saw a study about this from the late 1990's. It's something I think I hear doctors saying can't happen, but that isn't the case. I would suggest going on an elimination diet to see if you can narrow down what your baby is reacting to.

Fleur Newbie
Fleur
Posted
  • Author
You CAN pass gliadin in breast milk, I just saw a study about this from the late 1990's. It's something I think I hear doctors saying can't happen, but that isn't the case. I would suggest going on an elimination diet to see if you can narrow down what your baby is reacting to.

Thanks, unfortunately I stopped breastfeeding about 6 weeks ago. I just wanted to know in case of a new baby. Can you tell me which study or where I can find it?

AndreaB Contributor
AndreaB
Posted

You may be able to lactate again if you want to try.

I don't know the link to the study but I know my own child.

He was just over 2 months when he broke out with ezcema. After intolerance testing for me, I went soy free and gluten lite. His eczema got better but didn't clear up. He cleared up when I went totally gluten free.

Colic, I believe, is usually food triggered. It's just a matter of figuring out the food the mother is eating that is bothering the baby.

JennyC Enthusiast
JennyC
Posted

My son spit up until I put him on a gluten free formula at 10 months. I breastfed him for 9 months, but the gas and spitting up would not stop. When I switched to formula it got worse. As soon as I switched to soy formula, which also happened to be gluten free, his symptoms got much better. (Although I was still giving him gluten in cereals and other foods.)

mama2two Enthusiast
mama2two
Posted
Hi,

I am new here, so I don't know if I'm posting this in the right place. Also I am from the Netherlands where I can't get an answer to my question, so I hope you'll be able to help me.

For as far as I know I do not have gluten intolerance, but I think that maybe my son was born with it. Almost from the moment he was born he was having colics. I tried leaving everything out of my diet (milk, herbs, cabbage etc except bread) but nothing seemed to help. I never once considered that it might be celiac disease because there is hardly any documentation on it (except that breastfeeding helps prevent it). After 4 months I was dead tired and switched to hypo-allergenic formula. From then on he was a very happy baby.

So, my question is: have any of you had babies with colics and did they later turn out to have celiac disease?

Greets from Fleur

my daughter cried so much with colic when she was a baby and she was breastfed for 2.5 yrs. once we eliminated dairy, she cried a lot less, but i also had to cut out sweets, pastries, etc. Now we think she may have celiac disease. Looking back at some of the things she reacted to, this makes more sense to me now. If you are hoping to breastfeed, you could relactate and eat gluten-free. How hard it will be depends on how long it's been since you quit. I guess I can't answer your question for sure, but my daughter had awful colic and we now think she may have celiac disease. Her colic improved after removing dairy from my diet, but she has recently been tested for a dairy allergy and it was negative.

sjust Apprentice
sjust
Posted

I am struggling with the same type of issue. We went to the dr. yesterday and he said it was colic, and claimed that the green mucus poop is unrelated to it. I am not sure why he would assume that but he has. We are in the process of eliminating all gluten from my life so we will see if it gets better. I wish you the best of luck.

Sarah

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mama2five Newbie
mama2five
Posted

My 8 yr old showed signs of celiacs just 2 weeks after birth. Unfortunately it took 2.5 yrs to diagnose her with celiacs. She would throw up constantly and was constipated. I was told that she probably had a very strong gag reflex that is why she threw up.

My dh had mentioned that 2 of his sisters had wheat allergies but never called it celiacs. It wasn't until she was 2.5 adn dh noticed how bloated her stomach was and that she was constantly crying about a belly ache that he mentioned his sisters had celiacs.

We started the gluten free diet adn she grew 3 inches adn gained 6 lbs in just 6 mos. He rmoods also changeed drastically.

My ds started having diarrhea about 6 weeks ago now. I suspected celiacs because of the color and the fact it lasted more than a couple of days. My doctor ran some blood and stool tests. Everything came back neg. but my doctor said that the celiacs test isn't accurate in a baby. He suggested putting him adn myself on the gluten free diet awhile we are waiting to see the gastroenterologist.

He has gotten so much better since we have been gluten free.

gfgypsyqueen Enthusiast
gfgypsyqueen
Posted
My 8 yr old showed signs of celiacs just 2 weeks after birth. Unfortunately it took 2.5 yrs to diagnose her with celiacs. She would throw up constantly and was constipated. I was told that she probably had a very strong gag reflex that is why she threw up.

My dh had mentioned that 2 of his sisters had wheat allergies but never called it celiacs. It wasn't until she was 2.5 adn dh noticed how bloated her stomach was and that she was constantly crying about a belly ache that he mentioned his sisters had celiacs.

We started the gluten free diet adn she grew 3 inches adn gained 6 lbs in just 6 mos. He rmoods also changeed drastically.

My ds started having diarrhea about 6 weeks ago now. I suspected celiacs because of the color and the fact it lasted more than a couple of days. My doctor ran some blood and stool tests. Everything came back neg. but my doctor said that the celiacs test isn't accurate in a baby. He suggested putting him adn myself on the gluten free diet awhile we are waiting to see the gastroenterologist.

He has gotten so much better since we have been gluten free.

Mama2five,

You really want to continue eating gluten until you see the gastro. The tests will not be accurate if you are not consuming gluten.

Fluer,

I know they say nursing prevents food allergies and ear tubes and all kinds of things, but both of my kids were nursed and both had severe colic and both have food allergies and ear tubes. I think some of us just create that kid. The only thing I hear about frequently from mothers with food allergic kids is that they craved/ate an excessive amount of something either while pregnant or nursing and their child is allergic to that item.

So IMO, when pregnant and nursing, eat a wide variety of foods, try to keep the top eight allergens to a minimum, and don't eat excessive amounts of any food. Keep a food diary for what mom eats and how baby reacts both while pregnant and while nursing. (My second had reactions to gluten when I was pregnant and had a gluten-free accident.)

cs789 Rookie
cs789
Posted

My son was very colic. I still breastfeed and dealt with it. Evenually the colic seemed to subside but he would get diarrea quite often. Much more often then anyone elses baby. I thought he had a milk allergy because when I put him on whole milk at one he started waking up and screaming. So I went to soy. So for the longest time we thought he was lactose intolerant but it turns out he is not lactose intolerant (we still keep milk to a min in his diet though.) He had celiac all this time. So you never know what may be bothering him. Just watch him as he grows. It is great that you are aware of the possibilities because my sons symptoms were never severe I did not push it with the doctor to be tested until they became severe. I have been told by people that the gluten has to be in there system for awhile before you will know and by others who says their kids shows signs of celiac as babies. But I did see something on TV the other day about a study where they came babies with colic probiotic drops everyday it is greatly reduced the colic. Hope that helps

mama2five Newbie
mama2five
Posted

Mama2five,

You really want to continue eating gluten until you see the gastro. The tests will not be accurate if you are not consuming gluten.

I talked to the gastro since my doctor booked the appointment after I put ds and I on the gluten free diet. His nurse sadi to just keep doing what we are doing.

My son's diapers are finally getting back to normal. He is sleeping better and finally putting some weght back on. The appointment isn't for another 3 weeks and there is no way that he could afford to lose any more weight. He ha dropped from the 75% in weight at 6 mos. to 40% at 9 mos. then down to 20% at 11 mos.

I am going to see what the gastro says but there is no way I am putting him back on gluten to challenge him since being gluten free for 2 weeks has shown such a difference.

  • 3 weeks later...
EmmaQ Rookie
EmmaQ
Posted

My son has dropped below the 10th percentile.

It's so frustrating.

I do know that gluten has to be in the diet to be tested via blood test or biopsy, it's the only way at this time. So, we're eating gluten waiting for the appt. It's a struggle every day b/c I know how to fix it all, but at the same time we need the gold standard dx for several reasons (in the long term mostly).

HTH in some way

kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

I think you can pass on gluten to a baby. My mother had to go casein-free when she was nursing my brother because he was intolerant.

Dianne W. Rookie
Dianne W.
Posted

I know from my personal experience that YES, a baby can be affected by gluten through breastmilk. I was on an extremely strict elimination diet trying to find out what was bothering my son. When he suddenly started having a reaction after days of being fine, I was easily able to pinpoint the problem as the non-gluten-free Erewhon Crispy Rice cereal I had bought by accident (instead of the gluten-free box). There was no other variation in my diet, meds, or personal care products...and he was not eating any solids at that time. So his reaction was completely in connection with my gluten intake.

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