Does My 2yo Have Celiac Too?

[KierasMom]

hi! My daughter is 4.5 and was diagnosed w/Celiac over 2 years ago. Her health has improved incredibly since diagnosis. We found out at that time my husband also has Celiac, though he did not have any idea until then.

Now, our second child, now 2, is showing some odd symptoms lately. He was tested w/his 2yo bloodwork, and the celiac test was negative. However, we are very suspicious. He's normally a very laid back, easy to please kid. He's never been easy w/eating, but always does fine somehow. Lately, he hardly eats anything. He's fussy, even when just waking up from a nap, and has had diarrhea on & off. He did have a fever and we assumed stomach flu about a week ago, but now it continues w/no fever. The crankiness, lack of energy, diarrhea occasionally go back over the last month or so.

My daughter became horribly ill before she was diagnosed and we are NOT going to go thru that again. So, I'm debating whether to even bother with the doctors or just get my son gluten-free as well and see how he does. Obviously since we have all the necessary gluten-free foods available, it won't be a big problem. It leaves me as the only non-celiac in the family tho!

What to do?

[shan]

depends on how much a diagnosis means to you, and what your family situation is like - i know neither my family nor my in laws family would be able to live thru life without a proper diagnosis. I know that i myself would never have kept to such a diet. I think that is what it really depends on - you!

[seaking]

I'm wondering the sam thing about my 2 yr old! I am gluten-free since June, and so my 2 yr old doesn't get alot of gluten cause I try not to have it around, but I realized today that he's getting really cranky & having diahrea the day after he has alot of gluten, little bits don't seem to affect him much but he's never been completely gluten-free. I'm trying to decide whether I'm being neurotic or not. My kids also get the celiac disease genes from their father's family, I think he has celiac disease but he refuses to be tested but others in his fam are positive. Does this give my kids a double whammy? If they have it, I deffinately want an official Dx though, because schools are not going to be very accomidating about mom saying they don't eat gluten cause I think they have this but I never got them tested. If you have a DX they're protected under the people with disabilites legislation and the school has to make appropriate accomidations to keep from making them sick, providing gluten free areas in the lunch room and keeping gluten out of the class room. I know for myself even slight cross contamination makes me sick for days. If my kids have this, I want to have the paperwork to back me up and keep them safe and healthy away from home., just my little soap box dance, in my personal opinion, the dx isn't that important, if you feel better on the diet, more power to you, but I know from hard experience that doctors and schools and work, even friends and family will not respect that, but if you have the Dx they have to shut-up and respect the problem.

good luck!