Jump to content

  • 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:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Babies And Celiac Disease

Emma's Mom

Recommended Posts

Emma's Mom Rookie
Emma's Mom
Posted

I am still fairly new to this forum and have been reading through numerous posts tonight in an attempt to find an answer to my question.

At what point do you think it's possible to suspect celiac disease and what signs would you be looking for? Are there some sort of warning signs that you now see in retrospect?

My maternal grandmother is a confirmed celiac. My 3 year old and I have had our blood tested for celiac, but both came back negative. I now have a 6 week old little girl that I am exclusively breastfeeding. Today she had a very strange bowel movement. It was characteristic yellow color but it seemed very oily (I use cloth diapers and wash them out before tossing in the wash) and there was some mucous in them. I've also noticed that the last day or so she's had a bit of a red anus and has been throwing up after some of her feeds. She doesn't seem to be in any pain at all but definitely works hard to get her bowel movements out. The only thing that I've eaten recently that normally isn't in my diet was barley which is why I suspect she might be sensitive to gluten.

I know there is some debate on whether or not gluten can pass through breastmilk. I'm wondering if I should remove gluten from my diet at this point or not and see if anything changes in her. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


MySuicidalTurtle Enthusiast
MySuicidalTurtle
Posted

Yes, gluten can be passed through breast milk. So, removing gluten from your diet would make your diet gluten-free as well. My brother and I both showed symptoms of Celiac Disease from infancy but our symptoms were very different from each others. Just experiment with your diet and see how she reacts. Good luck, Emma's Mom.

chrissy Collaborator
chrissy
Posted

there are so many things that could cause a funky looking diaper in a 6 week old. i don't think i'd worry about celiac disease just yet.

mama2five Newbie
mama2five
Posted

I am still fairly new to this forum and have been reading through numerous posts tonight in an attempt to find an answer to my question.

At what point do you think it's possible to suspect celiac disease and what signs would you be looking for? Are there some sort of warning signs that you now see in retrospect?

My maternal grandmother is a confirmed celiac. My 3 year old and I have had our blood tested for celiac, but both came back negative. I now have a 6 week old little girl that I am exclusively breastfeeding. Today she had a very strange bowel movement. It was characteristic yellow color but it seemed very oily (I use cloth diapers and wash them out before tossing in the wash) and there was some mucous in them. I've also noticed that the last day or so she's had a bit of a red anus and has been throwing up after some of her feeds. She doesn't seem to be in any pain at all but definitely works hard to get her bowel movements out. The only thing that I've eaten recently that normally isn't in my diet was barley which is why I suspect she might be sensitive to gluten.

I know there is some debate on whether or not gluten can pass through breastmilk. I'm wondering if I should remove gluten from my diet at this point or not and see if anything changes in her. Any thoughts? Thanks!

My second dd had the same symptoms from 2 weeks old. Unfortunately it took us 2.5 yrs to figure out that she had celiacs.

My son started having symptoms at 10 mos. After 2 weeks of both of us being gluten free his symptoms have disapeared.

I would try the gluten free diet for 2 weeks and see if there is a difference.

EmmaQ Rookie
EmmaQ
Posted

I had a son reacting at birth who was not dx until age 3. With my next at the first signs I went gluten-free and problem resolved.

It hurts nothing to try it.

I would eliminate dairy first though as that is more common cause of poo irregularity.

Dianne W. Rookie
Dianne W.
Posted

I know from my personal experience that my son reacts when exposed to gluten through my diet (I'm breastfeeding).

I also know that he has milk intolerance (actually MSPI). If you choose to try eliminating milk from your diet, make sure to look for the "hidden dairy" (just like looking for the hidden gluten, you have to read labels!). There are good lists of "hidden" versions of the top 8 allergens on the following site but you have to scroll down a bit to get to the lists (Open Original Shared Link)

HTH. Hang in there! And congrats on your new little one!

Ed-G Newbie
Ed-G
Posted
I am still fairly new to this forum and have been reading through numerous posts tonight in an attempt to find an answer to my question.

At what point do you think it's possible to suspect celiac disease and what signs would you be looking for? Are there some sort of warning signs that you now see in retrospect?

My maternal grandmother is a confirmed celiac. My 3 year old and I have had our blood tested for celiac, but both came back negative. I now have a 6 week old little girl that I am exclusively breastfeeding. Today she had a very strange bowel movement. It was characteristic yellow color but it seemed very oily (I use cloth diapers and wash them out before tossing in the wash) and there was some mucous in them. I've also noticed that the last day or so she's had a bit of a red anus and has been throwing up after some of her feeds. She doesn't seem to be in any pain at all but definitely works hard to get her bowel movements out. The only thing that I've eaten recently that normally isn't in my diet was barley which is why I suspect she might be sensitive to gluten.

I know there is some debate on whether or not gluten can pass through breastmilk. I'm wondering if I should remove gluten from my diet at this point or not and see if anything changes in her. Any thoughts? Thanks!

I started showing symptoms right after I was weaned. I lost a lot of weight so much that I had a distended stomach, and I was terribly stunted in growth. Does your daughter have either symptom?

Ed in MD

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Adelle Enthusiast
Adelle
Posted

I know DH's 1st symptoms were from 1 day old. He would violently vomit after breastmilk, then several types of formula. Finally he was just fed goats milk. His mom never bothered to figure out what's wrong. He continued to vomit occasionally and have SEVERE stomach pains, diarrea, and other gross stuff. Finally when I went gluten-free I made him (hey I make all the food, I decide what is cooked!) do it too. His symptoms cleared up within weeks.

Gluten goes thru breast milk. I would cut out gluten and just see if that makes a difference. Awwww babies!

sjust Apprentice
sjust
Posted

We are struggling with the same issue. In the beginning going gluten free fixed the problem but now it is back and we are on our way to Stanford University to figure out what is going on. I agree, start with milk, cut all types out including whey and casein. Any irritation to the intestine will cause the slime consistancy and it could be something else besides gluten. If milk doesn't work cut wheat out before all gluten, and maybe try eggs.

Good luck. It is so hard with the little ones and it takes time (about a week minimum to usually see a difference.)

Sarah

Emma's Mom Rookie
Emma's Mom
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for all the advice!

It's been 2 weeks and she's still having mucous in her bowel movements. I find that there are days when she starts to sound a bit congested, will throw up a bit, pass a lot of gas and there will be a fair amount of mucous in her stool. I'm certain she must be reacting to something I'm eating. We are off to see the family doctor later this week, so I'll see what he has to say.

Does anyone know if IgG testing would work on a baby this young...or would it be a waste of money? Am I better of going gluten-free and seeing how her body reacts? How long would it take to see results in her?

Thanks so much again!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,678
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Kristina S
    Newest Member
    Kristina S
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I'd go with a vodka tonic, but that's just me😉
    • Rejoicephd
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.