| If celiac disease symptoms go undiagnosed and | | | | - weight loss |
| untreated in a child, it can lead to stunted growth | | | | - bloated belly |
| in a child. It can also lead to terminal illnesses such | | | | - vomiting |
| as cancer and diabetes later in life. | | | | - tiredness |
| The disease is an ailment in which the body does | | | | Behavioral symptoms to watch for are: |
| not absorb the nutrients in the food that is | | | | |
| ingested. This leads to ill health. It is triggered by | | | | 1. Irritability |
| intolerance of the body to gluten in foods. The | | | | 2. Listlessness |
| sources of gluten in foods are wheat, rye, and | | | | 3. Poor appetite |
| barley. There are many foods that contain these | | | | 4. Cranky |
| elements or traces of them. | | | | 5. Difficulty with concentration |
| Therefore it is important to be aware of the | | | | 6. Memory difficulty |
| symptoms of the disease in children and to deal | | | | How To Treat (regard or think about) Children |
| with them. | | | | With The Disease |
| At What Age Can The Disease First Appear? | | | | Parents of children, who have been newly |
| Children can first show signs of the disease at | | | | diagnosed with the disease, may ask themselves |
| any age. Infants can manifest the symptoms, | | | | the following type of questions: |
| shortly after having gluten introduced to their | | | | How do we send them to school? How can we |
| diets. Medical studies have shown that children | | | | keep them from feeling different? How do we |
| who were introduced to gluten during the first | | | | handle birthday parties and other special |
| three months of life had a five-times greater risk | | | | occasions? How can we talk to family and friends |
| of developing celiac disease than children who | | | | about this? |
| were first exposed between four and six months | | | | It is most important to treat the child in such a |
| of age. The symptoms in children typically | | | | way that does not make the child feel different |
| become apparent three to five months after first | | | | or inferior. Your attitude, and the attitude of |
| consuming foods containing gluten, although for | | | | extended family members, toward the child can |
| some few cases the interval may be as short as | | | | have a significant impact on the mental and |
| one month. | | | | physical well being of the child. |
| Children have a 5-10% chance of getting the | | | | It is also important to educate extended family - |
| disease, if someone in their family has it. | | | | aunts, uncles and grandparents - and friends about |
| What Are The Symptoms Of Celiac Disease | | | | the treatment of the child. You dont want them |
| Children? | | | | to convey an idea to the child that he/she is odd |
| Acute diarrhoea is a common symptom to watch | | | | or different in some way. If a parent fails to |
| for in babies and children of all ages. | | | | manage this successfully, you may end up dealing |
| The physical symptoms you will see if your baby | | | | with a child whose actual physical condition |
| has the disease, will first appear soon after foods | | | | becomes worse than the celiac condition. |
| containing gluten are introduced into their diet, | | | | If you are constantly checking the the child for |
| such as cereals and bread. Your baby's symptoms | | | | symptoms and questioning their behavior at |
| may include: | | | | school and when they are away from home, you |
| - bulky and pale stools | | | | will be focusing their attention on the illness. This is |
| - smelly diarrhoea | | | | the reverse of what you want. |
| - vomiting | | | | You want celiac disease children to think of |
| - a swollen stomach | | | | themselves as normal, which they are in every |
| - failure to gain weight and grow | | | | way when they are on a diet free of gluten. The |
| Here are some of the physical symptoms of | | | | difference between them and any child who |
| celiac disease children, after infancy. They may | | | | doesn't suffer from the disease, is a physical |
| have: | | | | intolerance to rye, wheat and barley products. |
| - poor growth or no growth | | | | The child can live a perfectly happy, healthy and |
| - pale and smelly stools | | | | active life, if they are taught to eat a gluten free |
| - diarrhoea | | | | diet and actually do so. To remain free of |
| - tiredness | | | | symptoms, they will need to remain on this diet |
| - breathlessness | | | | for the rest of their lives. |
| - irregular heartbeat | | | | |