My 17 Mo. Old Son

[Austin's Mommy]

If any parent has advise I wouls love to here it. My son has been failure to thrive in weight gain. He is only 19 lbs 10 oz. at 17 mo. They did some tests and think he might have celiac diseasse. We are waiting for thee blood panel to come back. We are bringing him to have an emdoscopic exam soon. If anyone has any advise that would help please let me know. Thank you so Much....Austin's Mommy

[Jana315]

Does he seem small to you? Is he breastfed? Do you feel like he's sick? Babies can have their own growth rates and if he seems happy & healthy to you, I wouldn't worry too much. On the otherhand, if he's obviously ill to you, following a gluten-free diet is a easy "cure". My dd's growth slowed tremendously around 1 year of age and my youngest is 18 months now and barely weighs 20 lbs (not even sure she's up to 20) - she's pretty tiny compared to other kids, but I don't worry because she seems healthy, is developing normally and is very, very active though she is a picky eater, but I think that's typical for her age.

[Mom of a Celiac toddler]

I am dealing with the same failure to thrive. Mine was born in the 95th percentile and is down to the 3rd. He is doing his biopsy in one month. If you feel that something is wrong, trust yourself!!! Mine didn't have the typical symptoms so it had taken this long to diagnose, but I have known all along something was wrong. Are you seeing a pediatrician or a GI dr? I highly suggest you see a GI, that was what finally got us the most help. In the mean time, with the blessing of your dr, try coconut items. We add coconut oil, coconut butter, etc, to everything we cook for our little guy. It seems to be helping...we got a 5 oz gain in 12 days! Good luck, I hope this helped a little, but I am still in the diagnosis stage also! Feel free to post back with any further questions!

[mommida]

My daughter was finally diagnosed with "probable" Celiac disease at 17 months. It was a major relief to start the gluten free diet and stop the constant "D" and vomitting.

Raising Celiac Kids by Danna Korn is very helpful. It explains the testing. Helpful tips like have your special gluten free snacks and treats with you at all times. Kids are offered treats and candy all the time. Your kids will be trained to go to their treat bag when they aren't sure if a treat is safe and don't feel tempted to cheat. It helps you "deal with it, not dwell on it". Addresses the fact that family and friends have different reactions, and may not be safe caregivers or supportive.

I gave my copy of the book to the school to passed on to my child's teachers. Her last teacher learned how much a child's diet plays a part in a child's learning process.

Keep a food journal. It will help you determine if you have missed hidden gluten or if there are other food sensitivities. Include tooth brushing times, chap stick application and other items around the mouth that are not really meant for ingestion ~ but are ingested. Like a 17 month old biting your skin that just had lotion applied.