Which Tests And What Age

[siouxsie]

Basically, I'm looking for opinions on when testing may be most accurate and which tests does everyone here find are the most accurate. Since I was diagnosed w/ celiac 19 mos ago, both my kids (ds@15 mos &dd@ 6yrs.) were tested and found to have the gene but no sign of the disease yet. GI said to have him tested again b/t 2 &3. I'm hoping for the most accurate results with the least amount of testing. Should I just wait till he's 2.5? How long before the test will he have to be gluten full? I hate the idea that I have to put my kids through damage in order for them to be diagnosed. As my daughter gets older, I see more and more signs that were overlooked in me when I was her age...the irritablity, swollen gut that just makes her look pudgy. Her pediatrician agreed I should have her tested again w/ ds. Should I push for a biopsy if blood work comes back ok again? I just can't stand the thought of my kids going through life, suffering w/ broken bones, depression, irritablity, on and off digestive problems all to find out when they are adults it's always been celiac disease misdiagnosed.

[KaitiUSA]

For testing they should be on gluten for 3 months. Your youngest one is too young to have an accurate test done. Kids under the age of 2 will not get accurate results most likely.

If your older one is now experiencing symptoms she should probably be tested again.Most likely she has it in early stages. Do you know which tests she had done?

The good complete panel includes:

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgA

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgG

Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA

Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA

Total Serum IgA

Good luck

[lovegrov]

This is partly a matter of choice. Kaiti told you the tests to have and they certainly should have them. If a child has the gene, the symtpoms, and a parent who has celiac disease, the odds are quite high the child does or will have celiac disease. If the child has no symptoms and tests come back negative, most people choose just to watch and test again later.

We had our children tested for celiac disease (both negative) but did not have the gene test. Neither had symptoms. Neither went gluten-free but we'll be keeping watch.

richard

[Merika]

Are your kids gluten-free now? If this is the case, I was told they need to eat gluten every day for SIX months. My ds (age 3) is gluten-free, but hasn't been tested. I am debating when to put him on gluten and test.

Right now we are trying to clear soy out of him (allergy), but it is insidious and dh (DH!) gave him a chip at a party last Saturday without even thinking which had soy. At least every 2 weeks something like this seems to happen, or we find yet ANOTHER item in the house that contains soy. I am glad gluten is not this hard (I can't believe I said that!).

So once he is soy-free and we have a health base-line to go against, we will be thinking about the test. Or, I have been thinking of waiting until age 5, when kids' immune systems are functioning much like adults and a lot of that early developmental brain/body stuff is past.

Hth,

Merika