Persevering a condition where celiac disease symptoms are triggered by a staple of the western diet is difficult for people of any age, but identifying and isolating celiac disease symptoms in children can be particularly difficult and frustrating. We will distinguish celiac disease symptoms in children as symptoms that manifest more often in individuals of adolescent age or younger and that occur in individuals who ultimately test positive for celiac sprue disease.

If you’re seeking a more focused checklist for determining your child’s risk level for celiac disease, use my Celiac Disease Symptoms Checklist. This lesson will provide a more comprehensive background on how and why symptoms appear and persist.

Navigate this Article:

• What Is Celiac Sprue Disease?
• Diagnosing Children
• Celiac Disease Symptoms In Babies
• Celiac Disease Symptoms In Teenagers
• Checklist For Celiac Disease Symptoms In Children
• Treating Celiac Disease In Children

What Is Celiac Sprue Disease?

Celiac disease (also known as coelic disease or celiac sprue disease) is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system responds to gluten in a child’s system by attacking the mucousal lining of the small intestine, specifically the villi (or microvilli), which are very tiny hairs upon the inner lining of the intestinal wall. The more we learn about celiac disease, the more we’ve come to understand how broad reaching the consequences of untreated celiac disease can become. It would be a big mistake to think of gluten intolerance as something that just causes gastrointestinal distress. For more on the substance at the heart of this matter, read: What Is Gluten?

The only proper treatment for celiac disease for anyone of any age, from infants to the elderly, is a completely gluten-free diet.

Diagnosing Children

Fundamentally, obtaining a celiac disease diagnosis for children isn’t all that different than diagnosing adults, however some of the more comprehensive tests can be more delicate to administer. We won’t call them specifically children with celiac disease unless the child actually tests positive for celiac disease. Otherwise we have gluten intolerance in children, which shouldn’t change the outcome: in either case we must adhere to a totally gluten-free diet to eliminate symptoms and return our children to greater health.

The four tests we use to help identify celiac disease and gluten intolerance are (1) a DNA test for the HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 genes, (2) a blood panel to check for increased levels of the antibodies EMA, AGA as well as Anti-tTG, (3) a test for excess lipids in the stool (known as steatorrhea), and finally (4) a biopsy from the small intestine to assess the condition of the villi.

It is this last test, the intestinal biopsy, that we most try to avoid with the youngest children.

Some of the difficulties with isolating celiac disease as the source of any symptoms include how this condition’s symptoms may dovetail with lactose intolerance symptoms in children, Crohn’s disease symptoms in children or IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Keep in mind that more people every year are finding a diagnosis of IBS to be a misdiagnosis of celiac disease.

I should also note that even if a child technically tests negative for celiac disease, there is a growing movement of people who provide support for individuals defined as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitive. So even after a negative celiac test your child may still do best on a gluten-free diet.

Celiac Disease Symptoms In Babies

Celiac disease symptoms in toddlers or infants can be particularly difficult to identify. Here are the most typical symptoms to watch for:

• Bruising too easily
• Grayish stools or foul-smelling stools that are often fatty or oily (steatorrhea)
• Pallor (unhealthy pale appearance)
• Abdominal distention
• Regular and unexplained gastrointestinal distress (diarrhea, constipation)
• Failure to thrive

Keep in mind how there are many more possible coeliac disease symptoms, so just because your baby doesn’t exhibit any of these symptoms doesn’t mean celiac disease isn’t present, however these are the most typical and evident symptoms.

Current scientific studies do not support the common belief that some kind of gluten intolerance may be related Autism. However, many people believe anecdotal evidence suggests a correlation that science has just not yet been able to verify. It is a controversial topic and I am not weighing in on one side or the other; I just wanted to let you know about this belief and this debate.

Celiac Disease Symptoms In Teenagers

Celiac disease in teenagers presents some unique challenges because adolescence provides its own difficulties with all the hormonal changes occurring in kids changing bodies.

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD or ADHD)
• Weight loss
• Failure to Thrive
• Abdominal Bloating and Cramping
• Pain in the Stomach
• Celiac disease constipation and flatulence
• Chronic, itchy rash
• Addison’s Disease

In particular, when children with untreated celiac disease reach adolescence, they become more distinctly irritable and vomiting may become a more regular possibility.

Checklist For Celiac Disease Symptoms In Children

While I’ve tried to place each of these symptoms in the most appropriate age group, the truth is all of these symptoms can occur at any age. For that reason, here is a more conclusive single list for your reference. You should also check the lists in my silent celiac disease and more broad celiac disease symptoms lessons.

• Abdominal Bloating and Cramping
• Abdominal distention
• Addison’s Disease
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD or ADHD)
• Bruising too easily
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Dental Enamel Defects</>
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis or other chronic, itchy rash
• Failure to thrive
• Flatulence/li>
• Grayish stools or foul-smelling stools that are often fatty or oily (steatorrhea)
• Pallor (unhealthy pale appearance)
• Stomach Pain
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Vitamin K deficiency
• Weight loss

You might also read my guide to celiac disease symptoms in adults to assist you in understanding the similarities and differences between how these symptoms manifest in adults compared to children.

Treating Celiac Disease In Children

Simply put, your child must adhere to a totally gluten-free diet. This means no wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut or any other products that may contain gluten as an additive, filler or protein source. I hope our gluten free pantry helps you get started in treating symptoms of celiac disease in kids.

Additional ways I suggest people help their children recover from the damage done by celiac disease is to incorporate probiotics, enzymes, as well as mineral and vitamin supplements, in particular supplement their diet with vitamin D. Be certain all these supplements are gluten-free (you may have to contact the manufacturer to be certain) and please consult a medical doctor as well as a nutritionist before embarking on any specialized diet or integrating any supplements into your health regiment.

Thank you for visiting the Gluten Intolerance School. I really hope my comprehensive articles help you better understand and address the symptoms of celiac disease in children.