Should Dd Be Tested?

[Carabearz]

I have a 21 mo old daughter who has diarrhea along with loose stools. I happened to be thinking about why her stools are so loose & diarrhea and recalled celiac disease (my son was tested for it when he was younger). After reading some posts I am thinking she may need to be tested though I don't want her to have to go through with it unless it really could be possible. She has the stool issue, and I've always had a thought about her belly size in the back of my head. It's not overly large but still looks like a baby's belly rather than an active almost 2 yr old. She toots quite a bit and even now (though rarely) cries when she has to pass gas. She was/is also failure to thrive. She basically had no weight gain from 12 mos to 18 mos. At 18 mo c/u her pediatrician said I should put her on a high calorie diet to see if she could gain weight and she did!!! She gained on the low end of what they wanted her to gain but I was thrilled that she gained something. She is not due for another c/u for 3 mos. Should I sched appt w/ ped to have her tested?

[MommaNerd]

I, like you, am a first timer at this. I noticed my son, who is 18 months had a significant amount of symptoms to be tested, other than just diarrhea and loose stools. If you highly suspect that she is, try a gluten free diet for about 6 weeks and observe if there is any change. Some people notice a change from the first day and some people, it may take several weeks to notice a change. From what I have been told, if you suspect that she has Celiac Disease, then most likely, she is lactose intolerant too. So put her on a lactose free and gluten free diet for about 6 weeks and observe if there is a change.

I am wishing you all the best. Dealing with young kiddos with this stinks (not to mention VERY expensive!)

[Kimmik95]

If you think it's a possibility - have the blood test done to see if that comes back positive. If it doesn't then she may just have a gluten sensitivity or allergy vs. celiac disease. If it comes back positive, then you can decide if you want to have the endo done. I would either decide to do the testing or just go gluten-free, but I really wouldn't recommend trying out gluten-free with the intent on reintroduction. If it is gluten and your LO starts to feel better, you'll have a hard time making her sick by giving her gluten to do the testing.

I have a 21 mo old daughter who has diarrhea along with loose stools. I happened to be thinking about why her stools are so loose & diarrhea and recalled celiac disease (my son was tested for it when he was younger). After reading some posts I am thinking she may need to be tested though I don't want her to have to go through with it unless it really could be possible. She has the stool issue, and I've always had a thought about her belly size in the back of my head. It's not overly large but still looks like a baby's belly rather than an active almost 2 yr old. She toots quite a bit and even now (though rarely) cries when she has to pass gas. She was/is also failure to thrive. She basically had no weight gain from 12 mos to 18 mos. At 18 mo c/u her pediatrician said I should put her on a high calorie diet to see if she could gain weight and she did!!! She gained on the low end of what they wanted her to gain but I was thrilled that she gained something. She is not due for another c/u for 3 mos. Should I sched appt w/ ped to have her tested?

[AzizaRivers]

If you really suspect it, DO NOT just take her gluten free first to see if it helps. Go for testing first. In order for a celiac to have positive test results, they have to be eating a high-gluten diet. If you take her off gluten before she is tested, you run the risk of getting a false-negative (which is still possible even if she is eating gluten).

Have her tested first. If everything comes back negative and you have no other leads, THEN try the diet and see if it helps.