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Wondering If My Toddler Needs To Go Gluten Free!

erinmom

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erinmom Newbie
erinmom
Posted

my 20 month is a picky eater barely eats! She wakes up throug the night VERY THIRSTY!! her doctor put her on pedisure bc she wasnt eating and not gaining the propery weight! pediatric gasterologist put her on probotics bc she is VERY GASSY and would wake up in the middle of the night with gas! we are on lactose free milk! i need some help bc her doctor isnt doing the job i am one worried mama!!!!!!!!!

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Have they tested her for Diabetes? I think in little ones being thirsty is a symptom. It could also be that she has some sinus blockage & is breathing with her mouth open? Have they tested her vitamin & iron levels? Did they blood test for Celiac?

Doctors can be so hard to deal with! :blink:

erinmom Newbie
erinmom
Posted
  • Author

Have they tested her for Diabetes? I think in little ones being thirsty is a symptom. It could also be that she has some sinus blockage & is breathing with her mouth open? Have they tested her vitamin & iron levels? Did they blood test for Celiac?

Doctors can be so hard to deal with! :blink:

we were tested for diabetes and they say she was fine!!!!!! they have done blood test but act as everything is fine, but something is going on for sure!!!!! i have no clue what to do bc doctors are NO HELP!!!!!!!!! i just want my silly funny toddler back!:)

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Get copies of all her blood work and any other tests they have done. You need to see if they have done the right tests. You may need to try another doctor.

erinmom Newbie
erinmom
Posted
  • Author

ok thanks what all testing needs to be done to see if this is the problem?

Booghead Contributor
Booghead
Posted

Well testing for celiacs in a toddler is pointless, it never comes back positive.

It doesn't really sound like that is her problem though. Children can just be thirsty or, if she is waking in the night telling you she is thirsty she might just be trying to delay going back to bed. I don't really know what goes on because I don't live with you :P I would try to get a better doctor if you can. Doctors need to listen and yours does not.

Best of Luck to you and your little one. B)

erinmom Newbie
erinmom
Posted
  • Author

Well testing for celiacs in a toddler is pointless, it never comes back positive.

It doesn't really sound like that is her problem though. Children can just be thirsty or, if she is waking in the night telling you she is thirsty she might just be trying to delay going back to bed. I don't really know what goes on because I don't live with you :P I would try to get a better doctor if you can. Doctors need to listen and yours does not.

Best of Luck to you and your little one. B)

thanks yeah she wakes up like she is starving but when i give her a drink it sucks it down with like 2 sips and back to sleep she goes! and with her not eating it didnt worry me at first but its going on for 8 months we are living off lactose free milk, pedisure, juice and water and tad bit of food here and there! and no her doctor doesnt listen and my husband probably thinks im crazy too but with my five year old i never had this problem so i am a concerned mama! and yes i heard that testing in toddlers never come back postive! guess its time to look into a new doctor!

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GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

I think celiac testing in infants is not very reliable. That would be something to check out. Lactose is not the only possible problem with milk though. It could also be casein, the protein in milk causing a problem. You could try her on non-dairy milk (not soy though) and see if she improves. Rice or hemp or almond milk. Don't use the Dream milks though as they use barley in them.

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erinmom Newbie
erinmom
Posted
  • Author

thanks i will try this! something has to work would it hurt fir me to try the gluten free diet?

StephanieL Enthusiast
StephanieL
Posted

Well testing for celiacs in a toddler is pointless, it never comes back positive.

That just isn't true. I know of many kids 3 and under who test +.

erinmom Newbie
erinmom
Posted
  • Author

so do i need to see about getting her tested?

alex11602 Collaborator
alex11602
Posted

so do i need to see about getting her tested?

I would definitely try to get her tested because down the road for school it will be easier to get accomidations and if it was positive there would be no doubts that gluten was the problem. But after all testing is completed, even if it's negative, you could always trial her gluten free for 3-6 months and see if it helps. Going gluten free is not harmful as long as she is eating nutritious foods and seeing her diet now I don't think it would hurt at all to try.

StephanieL Enthusiast
StephanieL
Posted

Yes, what Alex said :)

erinmom Newbie
erinmom
Posted
  • Author

thanks so much i will get with her doctor! i dont want to run into problems at school and such thanks!:)

M0Mto3 Rookie
M0Mto3
Posted

I think that you should talk to your ped about seeing someone for feeding issues. Has she always not eaten much or is this new? Is she acting ill? Is she having a lot of bowel movements or frequent urination? If she is not eating much during the day it wouldn't be surprising that she is waking up acting like she is starving. I would really work on her feeding before trying anything else. It sounds like she might just be too busy during the day to eat and then she is hungry at night. Also, with her being gassy...it is much more common for toddlers to have issues with the protein in milk than with lactose. I would do what PP said and try soy or almond milk. You can also try cutting out all dairy. Some kids have a lot of GI trouble from dairy.

An issue with dairy is far more common in toddlers than Celiac's. I would probably try cutting out all dairy (even trace amounts) first. If you aren't seeing changes within 2 weeks I would then pursue testing for Celiac's.

erinmom Newbie
erinmom
Posted
  • Author

I think that you should talk to your ped about seeing someone for feeding issues. Has she always not eaten much or is this new? Is she acting ill? Is she having a lot of bowel movements or frequent urination? If she is not eating much during the day it wouldn't be surprising that she is waking up acting like she is starving. I would really work on her feeding before trying anything else. It sounds like she might just be too busy during the day to eat and then she is hungry at night. Also, with her being gassy...it is much more common for toddlers to have issues with the protein in milk than with lactose. I would do what PP said and try soy or almond milk. You can also try cutting out all dairy. Some kids have a lot of GI trouble from dairy.

An issue with dairy is far more common in toddlers than Celiac's. I would probably try cutting out all dairy (even trace amounts) first. If you aren't seeing changes within 2 weeks I would then pursue testing for Celiac's.

thanks so much!!!!!! im going to try all this :)

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

I wouldn't try soy milk. There was a study not long ago published about people putting their kids on soy milk after they had milk reactions. The kids ended up having even more food allergies develop after being put on soy. Soy and guts are not a good combo.

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