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[Kal-rose0486]

My soon to be 2 year old daughter was just diagnosed with Celiac's in the last month. She has always been on the low end for weight and it was the last test they decided to do before they decided she was just built small.

No one in either side has been diagnosed or had it, but I am suspicious of it coming from my side of the family. My mom was just diagnosed last year with rheumatoid arthritis, and one of my brothers has reynod syndrome, alers danlose, and terrets (I only know for sure that reynod doubles your chances). So, how much greater are their odds just from being related to a celiac and having an autoimmune disease?

Also-I am due to have our second child within weeks. How soon should we have him tested for Celiac? I know it takes the body some time to react to the intolerance of it, and that is the only way for the tests to show it (from what the nutritionist explained) but he already has other medical issues and I want to get it taken care of ASAP.

Thanks for any help before hand. I know I will be coming here often for information and advice!

[fedora]

hi,

being related to a celiac ups your odds of having celiac also. The closer the relative the more chance. I can't remember the odds for sure, but I think it is 1 in 22 if you have a first degree relative with celiac. Celiac and other auto immune diseases can overlap.

When you said he already has other medical issues and I want to get it taken care of ASAP.

who are you talking about? Your unborn child? What other medical issues?

The blood tests have many more false negatives for childen under 5. It does take time for the antibodies to form and build up. You can always do a trial gluten free diet if you are nursing and he has problems. I had to give up tomatoes, pinto beans, peanuts, and dairy with one of my three children, but he eats them all now with no problems(except dairy) You can delay giving him any gluten for a long time and then take him off it if he has any problems later.

Or you could get a DNA test done through enterolab. It is just a mouth swab. Then you would know if he has a celiac gene or not. It is around $150 I think.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

[a ditmars]

There is genetic testing available through www.EnteroLab.com. If your daughter aready tested positive that would mean that either you or the childs father would also have the gene. If it were me, and I was expecting a baby I would get tested as soon as possible and also have the baby's father tested also. I my own case I wished I had known when I was nursing my son. I was passing gluten to him then and most likely when I was pregnant too. There is a huge link between cases of children and learning disablities, Autism, loads of other disorders that are connected with Celiac.

The test is a cheek swabbing so it is simple to do on a small child also. Some say the testing (cost $150) is pricey but it sure beats the years of illness, testing and doctors visits my son had to endure before we finally found genetic testing. It turns out that both his Dad and I are gene carriers. Nearly every member of our extended family has now been diagnosed.

Good Luck,

Allison