Children And Growth

[julie13]

Hi I am new to this but feel like I need some advice. I have 2 boy 1 and 3yrs old. Both from newborns to 8 month were thriving and were in the 50 percentile. Both were breastfed. At 8 month of age they both began to plateau in weight and height. When this happen to my oldest the doctor said to start supplementing him with formula but nothing helped. Now he is 3 and is in the 10th percentile. When my youngest weight plateau the doctor said to do the same thing and nothing work. I thought maybe the problem was my milk production with both kids so at 9 mths (my youngest) I stopped breastfeeding and bottle-fed. Him weight began to increase but not a whole lot.

With that said the doctor has been worried about my oldest. She sent me to endocrine doctors, genetics doctors etc etc. And they all said that they couldn't find anything wrong. He got sick one night after having a big pasta dinner and was throwing up for 4 days not being able to hold down anything. My sister told me about celiac disease and I have been researching about it for weeks. He has had a lot of symptoms: bloated tummy, failure to thrive, pale floating BM, . and always complaining about a stomach ache (since the 4 days throwing up which was 4wk ago) and Both kids have Eczema. I told the doctor that I wanted him tested and the test was negative. They doctor said they will just monitor him but that is what they have been doing since he was 8 mth! A lot of the research I have been reading said that there is a lot of false negatives especially in toddlers. So I have had my oldest on the gluten-free diet for 2 days now.

Sorry this is so long I am just soooo frustrated with everything and if I should put my 1yr old on the diet also. I am also worried that the diet may not work because of cross contamination in my home. (I can't afford to throw everything out: Pot and pans,cleaners etc). What are the sign that the diet is working? He doesn't have any red flashing signs. Is there anyone out there that has had a similar experience?

[RiceGuy]

Welcome to the board! I'm sure you'll get plenty of answers here.

Many members have related similar stories, of themselves at a young age, and/or of their children. As you already know, false negatives are very common in young children, so I think you've done the right thing by putting your oldest child on a gluten-free diet. If it were me, I'd do the same for the younger one too. I think you'll know if it is working if they begin growing, and if you see the bloating, eczema, and/or other symptoms starting to go away.

As for cross-contamination, do the best you can. Wash pots and pans thoroughly, using gluten-free soap, and a separate dedicated sponge. Never use the same dish water used for dishes containing gluten, and wash down the sink before washing dished to be used to prepare gluten-free foods. Use stainless steel pans and such instead of cast iron, and avoid scratched pans. Keep gluten-free foods and snacks separate from gluten-containing items. Though it is best if there is no gluten in the home if you can do it. It doesn't have to cost a lot if you prepare meals from scratch, and avoid prepackaged "specialty" item, such as gluten-free breads and snacks. Look for things which are naturally gluten-free, such as veggies, fruits, nuts, legumes, grains, plain meats, etc.

Do watch for problems with dairy, as that is often a problem when the intestines are still damaged. Use rice or nut milk for awhile, and try dairy once there has been sufficient improvement.

I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to ask any questions. There are many knowledgeable members here.

Let us know how it goes!

[Nicholasmommy]

Your children sound similiar to my son in some ways. My son dropped off the charts between 9-12 months and is FTT with a big old belly. Blood work came back positive and I decided to not do the biopsy. He has been gluten free for almost 2 weeks and has been eating up a storm. Going gluten free does you child no harm so try it! I don't know how long it will take to get results but I have heard about a month.

[lizajane]

my blood test was negative. and then i started throwing up. i had an endoscopy to look for signs of reflux or an ulcer. the GI did a biopsy "while he was there." and i had double the # of lymphocytes "required" to be above normal.

just do the diet. my son (as i just said in a different thread) does not have a diagnosis, we just took him gluten free. and i already see a change in him. he is not small- he is 50th %ile. but my other child is way off the chart tall. so the discrepancy has me wondering. and he has the GI issues, the sleep disturbances and the irritability i have read about.

[julie13]

Thank you all for the help! We are now on week two of the diet and it seem to be going well. My 3 yr has been having crazy days. For the most part the diet has calmed him down. But a couple of days ago he was throwing a HUGE tantrums all day. He has never been like that. Then he had a bowel movment that was soft and mucusy. Could it be a gluten reaction to something I wasn't aware of him eating?

The only thing I can remember that was different was he ate sweet potatoes the night before. The biggest change I've seen in my 3yr old is before the diet he would have a BM 2x a day. And now its every other day and its normal.

Also, my 3 yr old is always waking up in the night, It just started when he had that 4 days of throwing up about a month ago. And it hasn't changed since the diet.

I put my 1 yr old on the diet too. I can't believe his change in eating. He has always been a big eater but now I can't keep him full. Also I took him off milk and I saw a night and day difference with in a DAY! He was happy again. No more fussyness. YEAH!

You Guys are the best!!! Thanks for all the support. I didn't get any from the doctor.

[Nicholasmommy]

Thank you all for the help! We are now on week two of the diet and it seem to be going well. My 3 yr has been having crazy days. For the most part the diet has calmed him down. But a couple of days ago he was throwing a HUGE tantrums all day. He has never been like that. Then he had a bowel movment that was soft and mucusy. Could it be a gluten reaction to something I wasn't aware of him eating?

The only thing I can remember that was different was he ate sweet potatoes the night before. The biggest change I've seen in my 3yr old is before the diet he would have a BM 2x a day. And now its every other day and its normal.

Also, my 3 yr old is always waking up in the night, It just started when he had that 4 days of throwing up about a month ago. And it hasn't changed since the diet.

I put my 1 yr old on the diet too. I can't believe his change in eating. He has always been a big eater but now I can't keep him full. Also I took him off milk and I saw a night and day difference with in a DAY! He was happy again. No more fussyness. YEAH!

You Guys are the best!!! Thanks for all the support. I didn't get any from the doctor.

Glad to hear that it is going well! I recommend this book "kids with Celiac disease" by Danna Korn. It is really helpful. I know there is a list on here of ingrednets that are not safe. Print it out and have it with you always! Gluten its in the most random stuff.

My little one has been having a tough time too with the tantrums. We are going into week three of the diet and I can't figure out why.

[swalker]

We see tantrums from gluten, dairy, corn and soy in our four year old. Dairy and soy are the worst.