For people with celiac disease, the surface of the small intestine, which is responsible for absorbing nutrients from food, is damaged by gluten, impairing its ability to do so. Though often thought of as a condition that only affects adults, the disease can also be present in young children, or even in infants.
The bad news is that there is currently no known cure for celiac disease, but the good news is that you can treat the condition easily enough by providing your child with a gluten-free diet. Of course, you'll need to recognise the disease first, and that can be tough when your child is still young. Make sure you take your child to see a medical professional if they present some or all of the signs listed below.
1. Family History
Though not a sign in and of itself, there are risk factors. People of any race or gender can have celiac, but the disease does have a genetic basis. This means that your child will be at increased risk of developing the condition if there is a family history; in fact, the condition is estimated to occur in up to 5-10% of the family members of a celiac sufferer.
2. Lack of Growth
If your child has celiac disease, they won't be able to take the proper amount of nutrition out of their food, no matter how good their diet is. This often results in a 'failure to thrive,' a term used for children who are not able to keep up with their age group in terms of height or weight. Of course, there are other reasons for this, but one study has suggested that up to 10% of children whose delayed growth has gone unexplained may be suffering from celiac disease. If it seems as if your young child isn't growing as quickly as they should be, celiac could be the culprit.
3. Swollen Belly
Due to the digestive issues associated with celiac, toddlers and younger children may present a slightly swollen belly. This is due to the fact that food isn't being filtered through the small intestine as it normally would be, and it may be associated with abdominal pain and lethargy.
4. Constipation or Diarrhoea
It might seem odd to state that a disease can cause both constipation and diarrhoea, but this is just the case with celiac. You may notice that your child suffers from chronic constipation. If they do void their bowels, the resulting stool could be excessively foul smelling; it may also be more pale than you would normally imagine. You should be particularly wary of such symptoms if they occur suddenly between the ages of 9–24 months. It is during this period that children tend to be introduced to foods containing gluten.
For more information and advice, contact your local family health care clinic.
