Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Question About Nephew

mollyb

Recommended Posts

mollyb Newbie
mollyb
Posted

Hi there,

My name is Molly Burk and my 18 month old nephew was just finally, after a long process diagnosed with celiac disease. I have done some research, thanks to sites like this on this and have a concern about his diet.

His mother, who is a great person and I love dearly, is also a vegeterian, and has passed this on to her children. She does not eat red meat so her children therefore do not either and I am having a real hard time with this. Especially, now that I know that the main things she was feeding him he cannot have.

I have tried to talk with her about this and she refuses to feed him, actually any kind of meat. From what I have read, this is important for him and I do not know how to get through to her on the importance of his diet.

He only weighs 16 pounds, and is 18 months old. I had a hard time with this before he was diagnosed, with both her children, and now I am scared that he is never going to develop normally.

I am asking for any information on this, if anyone knows so I can show her some proof on the importance of the protein in his diet. She has taken all the precautionary measures and went to the health food store but she has not given him ANY meat at all yet, and he was diagnosed over a week ago.

I love my nephew and his mother, but without going crazy and getting angry at her, I need some facts on this??

Any one that I show a picture of him to, say he looks malnourished??? Please correct me if I am wrong, i may just not be educated on this!

Thank you

Molly

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Guest Viola
Guest Viola
Posted

My, that's tiny! Is she not using dairy products either? Milk and eggs?

mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

I don't know the amount of expertise the mother has with the vegan diet. Well trained vegans have a variety of protein options. Once the gluten free diet has started and the villi have healed, your nephew should start gaining weight very soon. The month- weight ratio was about the same for my daughter before diagnoses (meat eating diet). Keep an open mind and listen to the mother's answer to your protein questions. You may also suggest some of the bean flours to replace the rice, tapiocca, potato flours for the gluten free diet.

Laura

Meadow Newbie
Meadow
Posted

Hi Molly,

This probably isn't the best site to learn about the nutritional advantages of a vegetarian diet. My son has type 1 diabetes and is a vegetarian (the rest of our family is not). His medical team is completely supportive of this approach. With a little research, you will find overwhelming evidence that being vegetarian is perhaps the best diet approach you can chose for lifelong health.

Meadow :)

Merika Contributor
Merika
Posted

Hi,

Being vegetarian and celiac are two very different things, and I don't believe one really impacts the other. Whether or not to be veggie is entirely its own issue.

That said, your nephews small size IS the result of celiac and in a year or so, he'll probably look just like other kids his size, but give it some time.

You don't mention if the mother is still breastfeeding. From what I know, it is very important for a vegetarian baby/toddler to be getting breastmilk, so that they get enough fats (of the right kind) in their diet. Anthropologists theorize that one of the reasons humans can wean their young so early compared to similar mammals is that we introduce meat at an early age. So if meat is not introduced, breastmilk is all the more important.

.02,

Merika

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

It is not necessarily problematic for him to be vegetarian and gluten-free. In fact, many of the grains that celiacs turn to when wheat is out have MORE protein than wheat does - and in some cases, a much more complete protein than wheat does.

If she is well versed in vegetarian nutrition, there is no reason why being vegetarian will cause problems with his development. (This is different from being vegan, of course, and you haven't yet noted which one they are. He can be healthy growing up vegan as well, but it is more difficult.) The only thing that a vegetarian has trouble with is B-12, and if he eats eggs, that's not likely to be a problem. Vegetarian diets still have plenty of protein (from beans, whole grains, soy, and fruits and vegetables, not to mention dairy and eggs if they have them) and when well balanced and supplemented with B-12 are just as nutritious as a similar diet containing meat, and, of course, plenty of fat and fiber.

If she's having trouble converting to gluten free, and his food choices are limited because of that, that is a different issue, and one that she can overcome through learning. Please keep in mind that he may look malnourished NOT because he's vegetarian, but because he's celiac - so he IS malnourished (because his intestines were not absorbing the nutrients he was ingesting). It will take much longer than a week for him to see significant systemic improvement, so please be patient, and supportive, of the transition to a gluten-free diet.

Feel free to encourage her to stop by here, and keep coming back yourself, for more information and just some general support on living gluten free!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,547
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    gizmo1jazz2
    Newest Member
    gizmo1jazz2
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      Looking for a gluten-free roomie in Denver CO

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Protein or fat?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.