Coeliac disease and babies.

[PrettyCandles]

How soon after having wheat for the first time would a baby respond badly if they had coeliac disease?

Ds2 had wheat for the first time in the last few days and he now has stinky diarrhoea. Until now (and since he started weaning) his poos have been formed and not stinky. He is otherwise fine.

The reason I'm concerned re coeliac is that FIL has it, which I now increases the chance that the LOs may have it.

[auburnmum]

I'm not an expert. I only know that my friend's boy was diagnosed with it aged about 4 and even then it wasn't completely certain. His symptoms were that he followed a completely normal growth pattern until weaning then failed to gain weight, plummeting to less than 5th centile. He has been quite small since then. Apparently tricky to diagnose - they had to have an endoscopy to to check if there was damage to the 'follicles'? in his digestive tract (probably not the right word - but the sticky up things that move food along). I also have an adult friend with coeliac disease. It seems like more of a long term thing. i.e. symptoms gradually appear over many years. Could it just be conicidence? Good luck.

[flamingtoaster]

PrettyCandles the response could be that quick - and certainly stinky diarrhoea is a classic symptom. If it doesn't settle soon I would raise the problem with your doctor. I don't know how reliable the blood test is in babies (advice for older children/adults is that you have to be eating a normal gluten containing diet for six weeks to be sure of getting an accurate blood test and subsequent biopsy if needed). If DS2 has been on gluten for only a few days I don't think there is any possibility of getting an accurate blood test - the doctor may suggest continuing with gluten for six weeks if DS2 isn't distressed and growth isn't being affected. Alternatively, the doctor may suggest gene testing to see if DS2 is carrying the coeliac gene - or decide to "treat as coeliac" (i.e. gf diet and prescriptions) and suggest a gluten challenge when DS2 is older. If you want to speak to mums of coeliac babies then post a message here: members2.boardhost.com/glutenfree. As there is coeliac disease in the family then your doctor should be very helpful. Good luck.

[jenkel]

a friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with coeliac as well as her father, she has tried to get her 2 children (2 and 4) tested, apparently they are clear at the moment but the disease normally strikes in late 20's/30's and 60's. Dont know how true this is but it is what she was told, apparently there is a type of milk that you can give newborns where coeliac is a possibility in later life and that can help to avoid it, was it goats milk - cant remember sorry!.

[PrettyCandles]

/Thanks for that link ft. Coeliac orgainsation say not to follow gf diet for weaning babies as that would effectively delay diagnosis, but I hate the thought of putting my LO through unecessary distress.

I think the milk you are thinking of, jenkel, is breastmilk! Recent research suggests that exclusive bfing to 6m and extended bfing thereafter may substantially delay the development of active coeliac. They don't know whether it delays or prevents the condiyion devolping though, as the study is too recent for lo ng-term results yet.