Is this diarrhea or is this normal?

[Moop]

Hello

I am hoping some ladies can help. My daughter is now 9 months old and has been weaned since 6 months. Things were going well but about a week ago she started having very watery and explosive nappies. They had been becoming quite solid and so this is a real change and I am not sure if you would class it as diarrhea. They are quite yellow and there are no more than about 2 a day - but because they are so watery she is needing a change of clothes and a bath if we are at home.

I am concerned about it as I don't want her to lose weight and not get the nutrients she needs. We now live in Belgium so not the same dr/HV clinics as UK so really looking for some advice.

I have Coeliac disease - which is an allergy to gluten so I have now cut out bread and pasta from her diet to see if that will make a difference and she is mainly having rice and potatoes. I have heard that some children can develop a temporary lactose intolerance - could it be that?

She is very well in herself and is eating a drinking so it is not serious but I don't want it to become a chronic problem. Some people talk of teething but I cannot see any evidence.

Any ideas and experience greatfully received!

thanks

Sounds like teething to me, there is not always other evidence...I wouldn't get concerned just yet. Keep an eye on it for now.

If you have coeliac disease, then it is highly possible that your daughter has it as well and she should probably be tested for it. My DD1 started showing symptoms of coeliac disease about 6 weeks after introducing gluten into her diet, although I didn't know that was was it was (and it was another 2 years before a doctor agreed she had a problem and referred her for testing, but that's a whole other rant!). Being coeliac yourself, you will be aware that in order for her to be tested, she will have to eat gluten for the results to be meaningful.

Also, I believe (although I not an expert) that undiagnosed coeliac disease can lead to a lactose intolerance that can be resolved once the patient is on a gluten free diet.

Why not post this in the allergies section as well - others might have some different ideas?

But as Flightattendant says, it could also be teething - if she is still gaining weight and is well in herself, then she's probably fine.

Thank you - that was quick! Could I ask tkband3 about the Coeliac - was it very sudden the development of symptoms? This lose stool just seemed to happen overnight but I had started giving her more bread and that could have triggered something. I know from my own experience that when I was diagnosed and cut out gluten I was well within a week or so hence my experiment now in seeing whether that is the problem. I will definitely get the doctor to weigh her as I think that has to be a good indicator.

Well she's 5.5 now, so my memory is a bit hazy, but...she weaned really successfully (at 4 months, following the guidelines at the time) and then at 6 months we started introducing a little bit of gluten (toast etc). To start with she did fantastically well - ate everything in sight, but then she got a cold and started getting her first tooth and suddenly wouldn't eat anything. She refused all solids for a fortnight - I offered them regularly, but she only wanted milk (I was still breastfeeding pretty much exclusively) and eventually she started taking a little bit of puree but nowhere near the same quantity or range of flavours as before.

Definitely get her weighed, although there may not be a dramatic change. But remembere that where coeliac disease in an adult can lead to weight gain, in a child it leads to weight loss, as they simply don't get any nutrients from anything they eat, it just goes straight through.

Hope this helps - anything else, just ask!