What Do I Feed Him?

[Griffin's Mama]

Hi , First off thanks for any answers in advance. I am at a loss right now and hopefully I have found tonight what is wrong with my DS . He was born at 36 weeks by induction due to my own medical problems of FVL and MTHFR ... He was 6 lbs and 2 ozs when he was born and gain only slightly in about the 35 % or thereabouts the first 6 months then I started giving him cereals and baby foods like normal and he just started to waste to as low as 5%- 10% , Dr.s I think just thought he wasn't getting enough and told me to make sure I was feeding him right amounts even though he was eating well I thought . He always since he was born had a runny/stuffy nose and got what I thought looked like heat bumps on his chest and face after eating, they would normally fade but still be slightly visable till the next feeding when they would come back, dr says heat rash , or not cleaning his face ( which I think I know how to wipe my kids face properly, But whatever) He just has never gotten to a good level he was we thought gaining some weight but he is now 14 months and weighs 17lbs! After reading some of the signs and symtoms that can signal celiacs I am almost positive that he has it. I took him to the Dr's this past monday to ask for a weigh and to ask him about possible allergies again and after the Dr. got his weight along with hearing about his reactions to dairy and possibly bread, pasta ect he told me to come in the next day for a CBC and a food alllery March , I'm not really sure if this will help him come to the conclusion I have tonight after reading the signs and symptoms of celiac which include, rosy cheeks while on cearel and nursing...people always commented on it as weired, the loose stools (although only when he eats alot of bread type food or dairy type foods, the wasted butt, the bloated pot belly , the skinny limbs, the cranky always wanting to be held and clingyness like he is in pain , the starving hunger to only eating a few bites, he also gets a really bright red skin imflammation when things such as ketchup, french dressing( todays discovery), cottage cheese , yogert, ect. I am at a real loss He is hurting and hugery and I really just want to know what to do and what to feed him tilll I can talk to my dr. Please help me anyone . I can't stand to see him this way if I can do something to prevent this from affecting him.

what can I give hime for meals ? breakfast, snacks lunches , ect

Thank you again for any response, I know you all understand the frustration .Tomorrow I'm calling the dr to find out if he can get me in but tilll then I need to know anything you can tell me !

[AndreaB]

Hi and Welcome!

We've been gluten free since my youngest was just over 6 months old. We fed him baby food until he was around 14 months I think. Your little one can eat whatever you do that's gluten free and dairy free. We eat rice, food for life rice tortillas, meats, egg yolk (hard boiled), cooked veggies, potatoes, and fruits. Squash would also be good. For cereal we've typically stayed with flakes (corn, rice, maple buckwheat). Those are Arrowhead Mills and Nature's Path I believe. Perky O's are another one my children enjoy when we buy them. Envirokidz is another brand that has a couple gluten-free cereals (read the labels....If I remember correctly the Cheetah Chomps are not gluten free).

[Nic]

Hi, I just wanted to remind you that if you want a medical diangosis you can not change his diet yet. You have to wait until after all the testing. My son is now 6 but was 4 when he was diagnosed. Here are some of the things he likes to eat. He is also dairy free.

Breakfast:

Van's waffles

Kinnickinnicks blueberry muffins

eggs with Ener-g foods tapioca bread

Cocoa Pebbles, Fruity Pebbles, Dora Cereal

Envirokids gluten free cereals

Natures Path Corn Flakes

Kinnickinnicks pancakes

Lunch:

Ian's chicken nuggets with Ore Ida Fries

Ian's Fish Sticks

Tinkyada Brown Rice pasta with butter

Hard boiled eggs

Left over gluten free meatballs made with Ener-g foods bread crumbs

Thumann's ham or bologna

Dinner:

Any meat without a gravy or sauce unless it is gluten free

veggies without a sauce

mashed potatoes I make with Rice milk

Tinkyada pasta with sauce

hotdogs (read ingredients) with Fries

hamburger

meatloaf made with gluten free bread crumbs

Snacks:

Kinnickinnicks makes some very good cookies- K-toos are like oreos, they even have animal crackers.

fruit

fruit snacks

potato chips or fritos

Enjoy life makes a snack bar (even my non celiac son loves them)

I hope this helps.

Nicole

[Griffin's Mama]

Thanks so much ! I guess I can't change his diet but I can try to limit it a bit more, and see if it helps . I still can't belive that practicly everything is made with some type of gluten in the product. No wonder I have been driving myself crazy for the past 9 months trying to figure out what he was allergic to. He would have a reaction to just about everything we gave him, it was just so bizzare and no one even suggested celiacs...... mmmm I really hope this is what he has so at least we will finally know and be able to treat it.

Here is another question/s... anyone have strange rashes where food hits your skin?

What symtoms made you think that your child or yourself had celiacs?

Again Thank You in advance for your responses!

Taz

[dandelionmom]

I'm working from hindsight here because my daughter was only recently diagnosed at 3. As an infant, she got eczema rashes all the time. Her older sister used to get them from chocolate, berries and nuts but we could never pinpoint what was causing Julia's (we figure now that it must have been gluten, especially since her eczema is nonexistent now with a gluten-free diet). She would get weird rashes around her mouth after eating that would clear up a little bit after she'd eat. Her diapers were GROSS, very smelly, very fully, just yuck. And, she was always borderline anemic and sometimes dipped into the too low numbers so would have to take iron supplements (our pediatrician assured us that breastfed babies often have low hemoglobin so we didn't worry too much).

Those were the symptoms she exhibited while an infant and toddler. The other stuff (irritability, projectile vomiting, weight-loss) didn't happen until she was about 2 and a half.

Once you get the testing done, try sticking with the fruits and veggies and rice for a little while. I'd wait to intro dairy.

[gfgypsyqueen]

In addition to the Celiac testign you may want to look into food allergy testing. The allergists generally do not like to test infants, but you have some issues that might make them reconsider. If food touching skin causes a reaction, I would have an allergist test the child.

BTW, You want to make sure your child eats Gluten daily until the tests. However, you can remove all dairy and other foods that the child might be reacting to now and that will not affect the celiac testing.

good luck

[Griffin's Mama]

In addition to the Celiac testign you may want to look into food allergy testing. The allergists generally do not like to test infants, but you have some issues that might make them reconsider. If food touching skin causes a reaction, I would have an allergist test the child.

BTW, You want to make sure your child eats Gluten daily until the tests. However, you can remove all dairy and other foods that the child might be reacting to now and that will not affect the celiac testing.

good luck

Thanks for your response , I had him take blood test this week one of which was an allergy MARCH It tests for some of the more common allergies, hopefully this will be the problem since the celiacs sounds like alot to have to deal with.

I have to think that it is celiacs since he has reactions to breads , Pastas, his barley cereal, mixed ceral, spagetti sauce, Ketchup/mustard? french dressing, cottage cheese , yogert, milk processed foods in general like chicken nuggets and things like that , Normally his diet is baked chicken breast , and steamed/raw veggies and canned/raw fruit, rice and eggs . I was also giving him newton type cookies and grahm crackers , cube cheese.

He hasn't had any dairy since last Friday and he is still having reactions to foods and I don't really know what else to do.

Taz