Symptoms In 14 Month Old...is It Celiac

[babybear]

My daughter is now 14 months old and since weaning her at 6 months we have come across many problems. She was born a healthy weight 7lb 2oz puting her on the 95th centile. she has very gradually lost weight and now at 14 months is only 15lb, putting her in the 0.4th centile. She is very thin, almost malnourished, still wearing newborn nappies and seems to have a large tummy. She has had one infection after another for 6 months and therefore isn't really reaching any of her milestones yet. We put her weight loss down to the infections but we have since discovered, since a stay in hospital for yet another urine infection, that she has a low iga count. She doesn't have a consultant appointment until june but can anyone tell me if this sounds like celiac and is there a connection between iga serum, urine infections and celiac. I am really worried now as my daughter is always hungry, eats lots all day and sometimes through the night. I am breastfeeding on demand so her iga count should be higher and she has never had formed stools...and they always smell. Any advice please.

[mamabickler]

Her symptoms sounds similar to my sons. He was born in the 95th percentile and then at 7 months is when he started to drop, finally now to the 5th percentile. We too got sick really easily throughout this winter, eventhough he's not a day care baby. Our dr's put us on an elimination diet and that's how we figured out gluten was a source of trouble. He was off gluten, dairy and nuts for a month and became a new child. He even gained 2 lbs in one month! Now the ped gi wants him eating gluten to be properly diagnosed. For you, I would insist you get the blood panel asap. June is too long to wait. Your regular ped can run the bloodwork and if it's positive they'll get you in faster to see gi. Good luck and keep us posted!

[new york]

My son was born 8lb12oz. He progressed amazingly while nursing til 14 mos. As soon as I stopped he lost 2 lbs. He started having diarrhea every day up to 12x. He was crying all the time stumbling around as if intoxicated. He was miserable. We went to the dr. 4x and he came up with several possible reasons. Teething, ear infection, exc. Finally deciding he was lactose intolerant. That worked for about a week. As a mother I knew something was wrong. He was so pale and hadn't grown in 5 months. He hadnt slept all night in those 5 months, waking up screaming in pain. A friend suggested a gluten allergy. I started gluten-free that day. Within 48 Hrs I had a new baby. He was happy! The first meal he ate made me cry. He had stopped eating. 4 forced bites had been the usual. He ate a meal portioned for an adult. His hands shaking, shoveling food in faster than I could imagine. He played that day. We got him tested, but since I had already stopped gluten for over a week by time I convinced a different dr. To do the test they came back inconclusive. We've been gluten- free since then. And neither of us could be happier.

[tarnalberry]

It definitely could be. She should absolutely be tested!

[mommida]

My daughter was having such horrible "D" that she was getting a lot of urinary track infections. The diaper/nappie was just holding in the explosion (most of the time).

I would ask the doctor to test for Celiac.