Symptoms Of Celiac Disease In Children
Celiac disease, also called celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is a condition that causes an extreme reaction to the ingestion of gluten. When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, the immune system overreacts and damages the small intestine.
This condition is often diagnosed in infancy and childhood, but may not be evident until later in life. The most common symptom of celiac disease in children is irritability. Other common symptoms include abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Before the infant begins to eat food containing gluten, and it than with celiac disease may have normal digestion and growth. As foods containing gluten are added to the infant’s diet, the infant with celiac disease may experience diarrhea, projectile vomiting, a distended abdomen, irritability, poor weight gain, and poor growth.
Poor appetite and poor growth are common effects of celiac disease in children. During adolescence, the child may experience less symptoms. Often, the symptoms reemerge in early adulthood.
The treatment for celiac disease is following a gluten-free diet. When a child has celiac disease, it is usually beneficial for the entire family to follow a gluten-free diet. This prevents gluten-containing food from being in the child’s environment and saves the parents from having to tell the child they cannot have certain foods.
Some parents of children with celiac disease experience anxiety about the child attending school. While attending school, the child is likely to come in contact with food that contains gluten in the school cafeteria and perhaps during student birthday celebrations or snack time.
The parents should discuss the child’s need for a gluten-free diet and the diagnosis of celiac disease with the school nurse, dietitian, and the child’s teacher. Some parents often find it helpful to discuss the child’s needs with the principal. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), schools must provide children with celiac disease gluten-free food.
Following a gluten-free diet throughout the child’s lifetime is imperative for limiting the damage to the small intestines. Foods that contain rye, wheat, or barley contain gluten. Other foods not associated with these grains may also contain gluten.
Parents can gradually increase the child’s responsibility in following a gluten-free diet. As the child grows, the child can learn about celiac disease, which foods to avoid, how to read a food label, and to make healthy food choices.
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