Baby With Symptoms

[floweringdawn]

Hi, just a few questions to all of you smart informed parents out there I was diagnosed with celiac in 1983, when I was 11 months old. I now have 3 children, one 5 one 3 and a 6 month old. My two older children both have been tested, with negative results. I never had any concern, but my pediatrician tested due to my having the disease. My question is about my baby, I recently had surgery and left my kids in the care of family. He was fed gluten containing crackers and baby food, this was about 6 weeks ago. He came home with a rash all over his face, and head, and EXTREMELY fussy. I just assumed it was from him starting on formula, because he was breast-fed exclusively before my surgery. So I started breastfeeding him again, and he got better, rash cleared up, and he was again a happy baby. 3 weeks ago, I started giving him biter biscuits (gluten containing) and here is this rash again and fussiness is back. So is there anything I should do now to get a diagnoses for him? I know any testing under age 5 is inconclusive, but I don't want him to suffer if he is hurting from this...I sure know how much it hurts! His Dr says its eczema, and gave us some steroids, he SCREAMS his head off when I put it on like its burning. He is constantly scratching his head even to a point that its bleeding in places now. GRRR! Any ideas where I should go from here?

[jenny-ann]

I think the antibody testing will be inconclusive for multiple reasons - he doesn't get enough gluten and he is so young.

With his reactions (eczema included!) I would choose to do the DNA testing. If he has the genetic coding and such obvious reactions to gluten I would label him celiac and keep him gluten free.

HTH,

Jenn

[elle's mom]

It's so hard to see our little ones suffering. For this reason, I put all my kids on a gluten free diet regardless that only one of them is actually diagnosed. Two of the other ones have had symptoms and it sounds like so does your little guy. With such an intense reaction, I would at least try the blood test, you never know, it may be positive. But in any case I would just try the gluten free diet anyway. This is me, I have no desire for an official diagnosis. I know others have made other choices. It boils down to a personal decision. The genetic test would be interesting to know (if he has the same as you) but really it would neither diagnose him (although it could be a piece to the puzzle along with dietary response) nor rule him out for celiac........there are lots of gluten intolerants who do not have the DQ2 &/or DQ8 genes. Good luck to you, let us know what happens.

[nmlove]

Just a thought, not discounting gluten reaction but don't the biter biscuits have more than just gluten that he may not have had before? And therefore could be reacting to, aside from the gluten. And another thought and may not be applicable. If you are also dairy and/or soy free and he went on formula he could react to that (and still be reacting) as it can take up to a month to clear his body.

[mommida]

It sounds like your child might have some results from allergy testing. There is a skin reaction for the scratch test or the delayed reaction test were the food sources are taped to the back.