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

3 Year Old Son, Family History Of celiac disease - Question....

pejkug3

Recommended Posts

pejkug3 Newbie
pejkug3
Posted

I'm confused. My son is 3 years old, has symptoms of celiac disease and we have a family history of celiac disease (grandma, aunt and 3 cousins).

Brief call to the doctor today - the nurse said his IgA was 5.8 - is this good or bad?

That's the only number I have. The doctor is supposed to call tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm going NUTS trying to figure out if a low number is good or bad. What is the normal range? Does it depend on the lab as well as the age of the patient?

Thanks for any help - I want to sleep tonight! lol

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


tallfran Apprentice
tallfran
Posted

That IgA is very low. According to the numbers on the blood work I had, normal is 68-378.

That doesn't mean he has celiac. It also doesn't mean he doesn't. He apparently has what is know as Selective IgA Deficiency, seen in about 3 percent of celiacs, according to Dr. Green. You won't really know about the celiac until you get his IgG-TTA levels back.

This is what Dr. Green says about Selective IgA Deficiency: "There is a genetically determined condition called selective IgA deficiency that occurs in about 0.2 percent of the population and in about 3 percent of patients with celiac cisease. These people do not make IgA antibodies, whether or not they have celiac disease. Since most of the highly specific and sensitive blood tests for celiac disease measure IgA, the tests are measuring a class of antibody that some people cannot ever make. Therefore, if a patients total IgA is 0 or extremely low, running an IgG tissue transglutaminase antibody is recommended in order to determine of IgG celiac antibodies are present. These tests are important if you are IgA deficient since you may not otherwise be diagnosed."

Hopefullly these labs were also done when they drew the blood for the IgA. Nobody likes getting stuck, especially if you are only three years old... :unsure:

I'm confused. My son is 3 years old, has symptoms of celiac disease and we have a family history of celiac disease (grandma, aunt and 3 cousins).

Brief call to the doctor today - the nurse said his IgA was 5.8 - is this good or bad?

That's the only number I have. The doctor is supposed to call tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm going NUTS trying to figure out if a low number is good or bad. What is the normal range? Does it depend on the lab as well as the age of the patient?

Thanks for any help - I want to sleep tonight! lol

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Blood tests on children under the age of 5 are almost useless. You should give the diet a good try no matter what the results are. Don't trust blood tests, for you or for your child without giving the diet at least a couple of months, strictly.

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,686
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Lyndsay1982
    Newest Member
    Lyndsay1982
    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.