Diagnosing 19 Month Old

[betsyabailey]

Hi there I'm new here! My son is 19 months now and has been gluten-free since 7 months. We noticed something was wrong @ 3 months and he had TMNT poo after I ate bread. So I went wheat free while I breast fed. Gave him barley cereal at 6 months and knew it was celiac not wheat allergy. My question is do I have to put him back on gluten for an actual diagnosis? He was such a chubby baby we didn't do lab work. He's getting Endomysial IgA and Gliadin IgA and G. Any help would be great thanks! Also a few questions about family history here. Do my husband or I have to have it? Do we have to carry a gene? Thanks.

Betsy

[Aleshia]

Hi there I'm new here! My son is 19 months now and has been gluten-free since 7 months. We noticed something was wrong @ 3 months and he had TMNT poo after I ate bread. So I went wheat free while I breast fed. Gave him barley cereal at 6 months and knew it was celiac not wheat allergy. My question is do I have to put him back on gluten for an actual diagnosis? He was such a chubby baby we didn't do lab work. He's getting Endomysial IgA and Gliadin IgA and G. Any help would be great thanks! Also a few questions about family history here. Do my husband or I have to have it? Do we have to carry a gene? Thanks.

Betsy

hi, I don't have all the answers but I do know that it is genetic so you or your husband would have passed it on. but that doesn't mean that you have the disease. it is a gene that can be triggered at any point in your life

[Worriedtodeath]

If he's been gluten free for several months, the test will come back negative. If he's been lite gluten or has been getting a little thru cc then it might show some antibodies but will probably still show neg. Your best bet is to continue on the path of gluten free. You will have to put him on a heavy gluten loaded diet for a minium of 3-6 months to even have a hope of getting a positive dx. If you want to do a challenge and get an official dx then wait until he's a little older and the gluten challenge won't mess him up as bad as it can a fast developing 19 month old. But it will take a long time on gluten to do enough damage to show up. We were on gluten for 96 days and didn't get a positive dx even though every dr we were seeing swore she was classic presenation for the disease and were confident enough to have us go on the diet as soon as the test was over. They just knew she would be positive but she came out negatvie.

Stacie

[betsyabailey]

Thanks, bummer. I want a diagnosis for his preschool, he'll start in January and they won't enforce special diets without doc's note. I guess we'll look for new preschool.

[imsohungry]

Thanks, bummer. I want a diagnosis for his preschool, he'll start in January and they won't enforce special diets without doc's note. I guess we'll look for new preschool.

You're kidding me! So if a child has a peanut allergy...would they treat it the same? Probably not. All you have to do is say "nut allergy" and people go crazy trying to accommodate. Granted Celiac is not an "allergy," but the idea of a special diet being needed to maintain health is the same. Perhaps your doctor could write a note with a statement such as "probable celiac" or "possible celiac" while waiting for testing?

Actually, if he has responded so well to being gluten free, you may not want to put him through testing. At the very least, your pediatrician should be able to write "gluten intolerant: special diet necessary."

If you can, you may just want to find a new preschool.

Goodluck. hugs. -Julie

[betsyabailey]

You're kidding me! So if a child has a peanut allergy...would they treat it the same? Probably not. All you have to do is say "nut allergy" and people go crazy trying to accommodate. Granted Celiac is not an "allergy," but the idea of a special diet being needed to maintain health is the same. Perhaps your doctor could write a note with a statement such as "probable celiac" or "possible celiac" while waiting for testing?

Actually, if he has responded so well to being gluten free, you may not want to put him through testing. At the very least, your pediatrician should be able to write "gluten intolerant: special diet necessary."

If you can, you may just want to find a new preschool.

Goodluck. hugs. -Julie

That's a great idea! Thanks!