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Celiac Disease And A Clingy Toddler

Nicholasmommy

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Nicholasmommy Apprentice
Nicholasmommy
Posted

Hello, about a month ago my son had blood work down that indicated he has celiac disease. He was on gluten light for a couple weeks. Recently I decided to not do the biopsy and I took him completely off gluten. He is doing much better with his eating and has so much energy now it is crazy! He has been jumping off the walls!

The one thing is that for the last couple weeks he has been very clingy. He is always wanting me to hold him, read to him, or play with him. He also wants to sit on my lap during meals. He often cries and clings to my leg asking to be picked up. I pay tons of attention to him, taking him to classes, the park, reading to him, etc. Do I know it is not b/c he is attention deprived. I have been giving him extra loving and cuddles b/c obviously he needs it. Yet I do need to go to the bathroom sometimes and cooks meals.

I guess I am just wondering if anyone eles has experienced this? How long did it last? What did you do?

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Genna'smom Apprentice
Genna'smom
Posted

Hi

I jsut wanted to let you know that I am in the same boat. Even after 1 year of gluten free she is still like this BUT she has a lot of behavior issues that did not get better being gluten free so not sure. I did read that children often do this and after a while of being gluten free they get better. I do lock the bathroom door so I have a moment of peace and I pick her off my leg and sit her in front of TV while I am trying to cook dinner and if she comes back and I just let her cry and take her back in the other room. Good luck and I hope you get some other answers as I do not think my dd is typical......

Bonnie

swalker Newbie
swalker
Posted

I put my daughter in a sling and wore her. She was close when she needed to be and I could still get things done.

dandelionmom Enthusiast
dandelionmom
Posted

It could be a very normal toddler phase. Or it could be a reaction to the changes in his lifestyle. I think giving him the extra attention right now like you are already doing is the way to go. He'll probably adjust soon. All 3 of my kids went through phases like that (1 has celiac, 1 doesn't, and 1 is unconfirmed). I don't think it lasted more than a couple of weeks but it is hard to remember now!

Guest simrnz
Guest simrnz
Posted

Don't worry, being clingy is a very common symptom in celiac diagnosed kids. This thing could be due to reduced appetite, nausea, they may be withdrawn also. I'm not sure about whether the kid will recover this condition when gluten is cured, because kids deprived in childhood go on showing personality deficits on an ongoing basis. I'd advise you to NOT SHOW extraordinary attitude towards you kid just TAKE CARE BUT DON'T MAKE HIM FEEL HE'S DEPRIVED IN SOME WAY AND HE NEEDS SPECIAL CARE. This will make him demand extra care for rest of his life and he'll develop an insecure attachment with you.

B'sgirl Explorer
B'sgirl
Posted
Hello, about a month ago my son had blood work down that indicated he has celiac disease. He was on gluten light for a couple weeks. Recently I decided to not do the biopsy and I took him completely off gluten. He is doing much better with his eating and has so much energy now it is crazy! He has been jumping off the walls!

The one thing is that for the last couple weeks he has been very clingy. He is always wanting me to hold him, read to him, or play with him. He also wants to sit on my lap during meals. He often cries and clings to my leg asking to be picked up. I pay tons of attention to him, taking him to classes, the park, reading to him, etc. Do I know it is not b/c he is attention deprived. I have been giving him extra loving and cuddles b/c obviously he needs it. Yet I do need to go to the bathroom sometimes and cooks meals.

I guess I am just wondering if anyone eles has experienced this? How long did it last? What did you do?

Sounds like my son. I recommend reading a book called Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. It has nothing to do with Celiac but I found it to be very helpful. Even if your child doesn't fit the exact mold it is helpful. He just had a sudden influx of energy after going gluten-free and we had to find ways to manage it. Being clingy can also be a sign of overstimulation. Is your child extra sensitive to textures of food, the feel of clothing, etc? The book has advice on how to avoid emotional meltdowns and lots of other things.

ChemistMama Contributor
ChemistMama
Posted

Did you only go gluten free? Usually if there's villi damage there may be some lactose intolerance. My Ped. GI Dr. said that for the first 6 weeks of going gluten-free you also go milk free, only lactaid milk and cheese. Give the villi a chance to heal. My son was super clingy before he was diagnosed and it took awhile (a few weeks) for him to be less clingy. Your little guy may still have some lingering GI problems, and the only solace he knows is mom! Also make sure you explain to him that the foods you give him won't hurt his tummy...that went a long way to get my 18 month old to start eating again!

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