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

Family Decission?

AmandaL

Recommended Posts

AmandaL Newbie
AmandaL
Posted

Hello everyone. I am new to this group and looking for some help. Here is the story.

I have a newley diagnosied two year old and my husband and I are thinking of having another baby. But here where the our concerns start. I do not have Celiac neither does my husband but our family is full of Thyroid, Depression, Diabetis ect. (The specialest told us these are the factures that created our daughters Celiac).

So, does anyone know if our next child will have Celiac?? I have talked to a few other people and they are telling me that there is 99% chance that the next will have Celiac also.

Can anyone help????

Thanks for your help with this issue.

Amanda Lonson

Alberta, Canada

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

No, the chances are not 99%. The chances that a first-degree relative of a known celiac will also be a celiac are about 1 in 10, as compared to 1 in 133 in the general population.

There are many cases where in a family with multiple children, only one has celiac disease.

The genetics are a factor, but it is also known that a "trigger" is needed to activate the gene. Many people have the genes, but never develop celiac disease. There are even cases of identical twins where one has celiac disease and the other does not.

While autoimmune diseases do tend to occur together, the specialist who told you that those other conditions in your family caused your child to be celiac is just plain WRONG.

By all means you should go ahead and have another child.

ARK Apprentice
ARK
Posted
Can anyone help????

Even if the chances of another baby having celiac WERE 99% (which I seriously doubt) I wouldnt let that stop me from having another blessing!

Honestly, avoiding gluten is not the end of the world! It gets easier too and I dont know how long you've been dealing with this with your child, but I PROMISE that it will eventually become second nature and not nearly so overwhelming.

We discovered after a year of sickness that our then 13 yr old son couldnt handle gluten or soy. Now, 3 yrs later he is doing really well!

Now, it's our daughter's turn. She is 12 this year, and has been sick over 3 months. Of course, my first thought was "GLUTEN!" since she has not been eating gluten-free like our son.

We took her off gluten for a month and she remained sick, with a FEVER every single day. It didnt seem to make a difference, so we gave up on the gluten idea and started going to doctors. Four doctors couldnt figure out why she has a fever every day... Finally, in desperation we took her off gluten again, and all the stomach issues cleared up but she is still running a fever DAILY since the middle of March!

I am hopeful that it is just taking her longer to recover from the gluten and that the fever will eventually go away.

The good news is that it didnt freak me out to think she'd have to be gluten free too as I had already gone through all that with our son.

YOU CAN DO IT! Even if your next child is gluten intolerant/celiac, it's not the end of the world. :)

jmjsmomma Apprentice
jmjsmomma
Posted

I certainly wouldn't let Celiac Disease stop me from having another baby if that is your hearts desire. My 5 year old was diagnosed six months ago. My 4 year old tested negative and has no symptoms at all. My 2 year old had to have the gene test because of her age and something weird popping up on her celiac panel and she is all clear and will never develop celiac disease. My 4 year old may or may not.....at some point we may do the gene test with him but it is not currently necessary. All that to say.....I agree with the previous poster. It does get easier and easier.

Maiko Newbie
Maiko
Posted
While autoimmune diseases do tend to occur together, the specialist who told you that those other conditions in your family caused your child to be celiac is just plain WRONG.

By all means you should go ahead and have another child.

I agree with psawyer, that specialist is wrong.

I have 2 boys that were diagnosed after biopsies; my youngest was 18 months (2 months ago) and 5 years old. I just got the results from my 3rd child's genetic test - she has the genes for it but currently doesn't have any symptoms.

I'm 25 weeks pregnant with baby #4, it won't matter if he/she has celiac disease because the rest of us will be enjoying a gluten free lifestyle. The frustrations that I'm dealing with wouldn't keep me from the opportunity for another blessing. I want to encourage you to go for it!

shayesmom Rookie
shayesmom
Posted

The amount of misinformation that some doctors spread is just beyond scary at times. I also wonder if they ever have a class on translating medical terminology into simple English in order to assist their patients in understanding their conditions.

The conditions you mentioned are all conditions which often precede, or occur in conjunction with a Celiac diagnosis. And there are some who would argue that being gluten-free could prevent these medical conditions entirely.

You and your husband may not have Celiac, but one of you most definitely passed the genes on to your daughter. I believe that about 30% of the population has at least one Celiac gene. So it's not that uncommon. Most people with the genes do not develop the disease. But in families where someone has it, the odds of others developing it are much higher. Still....it's not a 99% chance. Psawyer has the numbers correct on this.

I know that a Celiac diagnosis is tough to deal with in the beginning. There's a huge learning curve and quite a bit of anger and denial at some of the sacrifices that need to be made. But this all passes. I find your question to be an interesting one. Should you have more children? Both of you come from families full of diabetes, thyroid and depression issues. Are those diseases a more preferable risk (perhaps because they are familiar?)? Personally, I'm okay with a disease which is completely managable at home, without drugs.

And what will you tell your daughter when she grows up? Will you counsel her to not have children because she actually has the disease and may pass it on to your grandchildren? Will she grow up feeling that this disease is more a burden on you than on her?

Personally, I think that you should take a bit more time to understand what Celiac is and how it's handled before making this decision. You will hear this ad nauseum on this site, "The diet is tough in the beginning, but within a year, it becomes second nature". And it is so true. Truly, Celiac is not so awful that it merits giving up plans for a family. Don't let fear of a disease rule your decision. You didn't the first time. Any regrets? :)

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,551
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Newest Member

    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.