In Utero Behavior!

[skikat]

My son has a gluten problem at 11 months old and when I was breastfeeding had a lot of problems. I remember him being VERY active when I was pregnant, almost so much that I talked to the doc about it on several occasions. I even asked the doc if he was having seizures or something because it was so much movement.

Has anyone else experienced this when they were pregnant? Was he reacting to all the gluten foods in utero? Did this cause damage even then?

Also- from about 3 months to 10 months he had a strange head "sway" like he was saying no, but completely involuntary and not prompted. Sometimes it was more jerky and odd like a "tick". Since we began the gluten-free/CF diet it has gone away. He also had weird tongue twisting recently for about 2 weeks, where his tongue would twist upside down and stay that way for most of the day. We had a swallow study, and an MRI. All normal. The tongue has improved now as well.

Just curious, Has anyone's children ever experienced this too?

Thanks.

[Ursa Major]

My second oldest daughter (now 26) was overactive before she was born. She had colic as a baby, and projectile vomiting as a two-year-old. They never figured out what was wrong with her. Of course, they also never tested her for gluten intolerance.

She was always very hyperactive. Fortunately, she was also shy, and therefore quiet in school (so never any mention of wanting her on crap like Ritalin). She'd just go absolutely berserk for several hours after getting home.

She and both her babies (17 months and 4 months) are now gluten-free. Her mother-in-law has celiac disease as well, and those children are obviously gluten intolerant. My daughter is feeling so much better off gluten!

[Izak's Mom]

My son has a gluten problem at 11 months old and when I was breastfeeding had a lot of problems. I remember him being VERY active when I was pregnant, almost so much that I talked to the doc about it on several occasions. I even asked the doc if he was having seizures or something because it was so much movement.

Has anyone else experienced this when they were pregnant? Was he reacting to all the gluten foods in utero? Did this cause damage even then?

My son (now about 2 1/2) has celiac and I'm pregnant now with #2 (a girl!), due in March. I specifically asked my OB about eating gluten while pregnant - if that could affect her if she turned out to have celiac as well. My doc said that my eating gluten while pregnant would not affect my baby in utero, but would definitely get transmitted during breastfeeding. I recall Izak (son) being pretty active, although the main disturbance was that he seriously had hiccups in the womb for the last 3 months I was preg! SO annoying. ;-) anyway, hope that helps...

[Ursa Major]

My son (now about 2 1/2) has celiac and I'm pregnant now with #2 (a girl!), due in March. I specifically asked my OB about eating gluten while pregnant - if that could affect her if she turned out to have celiac as well. My doc said that my eating gluten while pregnant would not affect my baby in utero, but would definitely get transmitted during breastfeeding. I recall Izak (son) being pretty active, although the main disturbance was that he seriously had hiccups in the womb for the last 3 months I was preg! SO annoying. ;-) anyway, hope that helps...

I don't think your doctor knows what he is talking about. How could gluten NOT affect a baby in the womb? If it is in breastmilk, I expect that it will be in the blood nourishing an unborn baby as well. I have read that when a baby has hiccups before being born, that signals food intolerances/allergies.

[ravenwoodglass]

There is at least one celiac gene that can be triggered before birth. I believe this occured with my DS but not my DD. My DS was over 6 weeks overdue and in utero he had some of the 'autistic' repetitive behaviors that he showed as an infant. He was very active and he began pulling his hair before he was born. It created some interesting startle reactions when he was real little because he would pull his hair and there was no longer the uterine wall to 'bounce' off of. I was sure he would snatch his little head bald. He was born a small but normal weight and length in the 65th percentile but by a year and dropped off the charts to -10. He would never regain any ground size wise. At a year he only weighed 12 lbs and when his sister was born when he was three she was already 10 lbs. That was when we really noticed how small he was. He was very colicy but very bright. Later he would show definate signs of Aspergers, he formed his first three word sentence before 11 months and could name every car made by 2.5. I fought throughout his entire childhood and teen years to find out what was wrong. It wasn't till after I was diagnosed that we found out he was celiac. The turn around in him has been amazing. Both health and in OCD and autistism features. Knowing what I do now I personally would not consume gluten when pregnant if celiac ran strongly in the family. I know this most likely goes against what they teach but there is so much we have left to learn about this genetic difference.