Daycare And Gluten

[caek-is-a-lie]

I have a question for moms of Celiacs out there but the forum search isn't working so I apologize if this is a repeat of an old topic.

I have a family history of Celiac, etc., and recently found that I, too, am super sensitive to gluten and going gluten free has helped me immensely. However, since then, I've been watching my 4 yr old son after he eats and I have some concerns.

His whole life we've let him choose what he wants to eat for meals, and he has almost always picked gluten free foods. He's a vegetarian by choice, except for chicken nuggets, and he prefers fresh fruits and veggies to processed foods. He does eat some crackers and PBJ sanwiches on occasion, but will often opt to eat the peanut butter out of a cup with a spoon rather than on bread. He'd also rather eat blueberries in milk than cereal.

He's very smart, but lately I've noticed that when he eats gluten, he can't pay attention to us, he starts humming a lot (I mean a LOT) like my sister did when she was little, and he gets really hyperactive. This is kind of a new thing. It's not sugar...he can eat gluten-free sugar no problem, but low-sugar gluten sends him running around the house squealing like a crazy man. He also complains about seeing "bees" and covers his eyes and says "no! get out!" I have no idea what this is but it worries me. He only sees the "bees" after he eats gluten.

So now I'm thinking, maybe I should put him on a gluten-free diet and see if it helps. However, he's in daycare, and I don't know what kind of hell I'd be setting myself up for if I try to do this. I feel like I'm barely in control of my own diet, am I really ready to do this with a small child? His pediatrician wasn't much help since he doesn't have "Classic" signs of Celiac (but she also didn't know about the non-GI symptoms and that it's possible to be asymptomatic for Celiac, so it's not much to go on.)

I'd love to hear your advice on what to do. Are most daycares pretty understanding and compliant with a kid being gluten free without a diagnosis?

Thanks!!

[EmmyLouWho?]

I

[Lisa]

Do not put him on a gluten free diet if you choose to pursue testing. It can affect his testing results. The reliability of testing children under the age of five is decreased.

If he is in pain or discomfort due to gluten, that's another story.

[HopeMum]

My daughter was diagnosed at 18 months. She was in and in-home daycare until last Sept and then a 'nursery school' with kids aged 2-5. It is hard and she has been glutened twice (neither her fault!!) I tried to educate them but basically decided that she eats NOTHING that is not provided by me. She takes a lunch box every day and extra snacks and a plastic shoebox that I restock weekly with snacks.

All daycares should be supervising kids at mealtimes and be strict about hygiene and sharing anyway, regardless of food intolerances.

Incidentally, the second time she was glutened at school they saw her take a bite of a bread roll given to her at a party by a teacher. I was not able to get there for a couple of hours so her teacher had to hold her the whole time, she vomits until she is exhausted and turns as white as a sheet. The teacher was 'heartbroken' I think this experience has made them take it more seriously.l....

I hope this helps, I guess my point is, she only eats food that I have provided until she is able to read and accurately identify safe foods herself.

Claire

[Lisa]

Open Original Shared Link

This might be helpful to those of you with children in day care or elementary school.

[EmmyLouWho?]

That list is a great idea! I've printed it out so I have it for the spring when he goes back.

I didn't even think about things like Fingerpaints and papier mache and projects with noodles! Boy do I need to get prepared!

Open Original Shared Link

This might be helpful to those of you with children in day care or elementary school.

[celiac-mommy]

I really like our daycare, we've been lucky because they've been very supportive, starting with our dd 3 years ago and now our son. I sit down with the teachers, they have a huge binder of info that I made for them, I have a plastic bin with all of his snack foods and I bring his lunch every day-he eats their fruit, veggies, applesauce, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc... I just supply the main dish. They only do projects that involve gluten on days he's not there (I work 3 days a week), they have gluten-free playdough, clay, etc and make sure if they have any questions, they ask me. I did supply them with new fuit/veggie ONLY cutting boards because we figured out that he had gotten glutened after eating apples one day-cut on same plastic boards as bagels, even though they were sanitized 1st. The only other time he was glutened was a teacher who wasn't familiar to the classroom gave him a cracker--I got the policies changed after that, and the only other time was when he couldn't understand what was going on yet and he "shared" a cookie with a little buddy. Overall though, we have had a very positive daycare experience!!