Anyone know about this? My grandson will be turning 3 yrs old in a month. He is not thriving - wears a size 18-month pants so they'll stay up and hasn't grown any in almost a number of months. The doctor took blood and said it showed a high level of celiac sprue so they're going to put him in the hospital (outpatient, I think) and do some biopsies on his stomach, duodenum, and esophagus. Is this the same as the gluten allergy, i.e., the disease "du jour" that everyone's getting all of a sudden, or is this something really serious. I am really worried.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/171805-overview

It looks like they are one in the same. Also came across the Celiac Spruce Association. I wish I could be of more help but am entirely in the dark about the effects of Celiac Disease in children.

I wish your grandkiddo the best and hope that he begins to feel better and retain nutrients soon!!!! Thinking of his parents, and you, as well!

EJD, please do not worry! My Dad was diagnosed as an adult, about 50 years ago, was treated successfully, and lived to a ripe old age (86). So I would be confident that diagnostic and treatment options have advanced considerably since then, and would think your grandson will be just fine.

If you Google "celiac sprue" you will find some great reading that should ease your worries. There are so many GF products out there that your grandson will not feel like he is missing out on favorite treats and it should be easier than in my Dad's day to monitor his nutritional intake.

And while it is said that celiac is a lifelong condition -- and for many people it is -- some actually grow out of it. After several years on a very restricted diet, my dad was able to eat small portions of food with gluten, but in moderation. Fortunately the medical community is so much more knowledgeable about these diseases in this day and age, so your family should be in good hands.

Wishing you all the best!

I'm so sorry to hear about your little guy. It does sound like Celiac Disease. Celiac is a very serious disease if untreated (I have it- and undiagnosed I misdiagnosed as having lupus and a whole slew of autoimmune disease) Fortuantely is on disease that can be fixed with diet. It is a tough diet for children, but there are some great books out there that can help. My thought are with you guys.

This is not a disease "du jour." It is a genetically inherited condition that prevents the body from properly digesting gluten. Instead of proper digestion, the body reacts poorly to the gluten in the small intestine, which damages the villi in the small intestine, which causes malabsorbtion of vitamins and minerals. It also creates small intestine permeability. In other words, undigested food can enter the bloodstream via the small intestine, which is toxic to the body. Depending on the individuals supply or lack of vitamins and level of toxicity etc, the end result disease/conditions can vary greatly, but there are definitely themes. However, assuming that permanent damage hasn't been done, full health can be restored by simply eliminating gluten/wheat/rye/barley.

More and more people are discovering their gluten intolerance. I believe this is a result of growing information. However, more and more people are having issues with gluten due to the seed companies genetically modifying wheat to contain more gluten, which is what helps give things like bread and cookies their great textures and crusts. Today's wheat has dramatically far more gluten than from 40 years ago.

Keep in mind, most oats are processed in a facility that also process wheat and is therefore cross-contaminated. So, avoid oats. There are gluten free oats available (Bob's Red Mill), but the proteins in oats are similar to gluten and are sometimes poorly handled by people with celiac, like myself. Most foods are pretty obvious on whether they contain wheat/gluten. One not obvious food that contains wheat is soy sauce.

More people of becoming aware of their intolerance to gluten, but western medicine in generally clueless. I took 20 years of me complaining to doctors about various issues until I found an MD that had a clue and had me tested for celiac. Unfortunately, most medical research and alot of physician education is done by pharmaceutical companies. There is no money in celiac for the pharmaceutical companies. You don't take a pill. You just don't eat gluten. Gluten free foods are now big business, but beware. Often times, in prepared foods, the wheat is replaced with sugar. So, don't mistake "gluten free" to mean "healthy." I would highly suggest a nutrient dense diet of real meats, real veggies, and real fruit.

More informations can be found at

http://www.celiac.org/

and

https://www.enterolab.com/default.aspx (Testing for gluten sensitivity can also be done by enterolab for a whopping $99).

Also, you don't "grow out" of the sensitivity. One's body may simply heal enough that you don't have an immediate overwhelming response. But, if you have celiac, you have it. The diet is inconvenient, but far better than the resulting alternative diseases.

Lastly, it is genetic, so, it was inherited from someone.....I would suggest cross referencing common resulting ailments/conditions with family member health histories.

Thank you all so much for the information. I think what worries me most is that this is an autoimmune disease. I am in my 60s and have three of them, starting with one in childhood and developing others over the years. ICK, in reference to your comment that this is inherited, I sure hope this doesn't happen to my grandson. I do not have celiac sprue.

The links and other information you all have shared will give me lots of good information. Looks like I have some reading to do.

This poor baby is so skinny right now and his little tummy is swollen. You can see all his ribs, his backbone, and his shoulder blades stick out. The doctors don't want us to change his diet until after they do the biopsies, which will be in two weeks. It seems like it was slowly developing and then BOOM, hit all at once. He does see his pediatrician regularly.

I was finally diagnosed with celiac about 2 years ago and I've never ever felt better my whole life as I do since I started eating right after being diagnosed.
Please understand that gluten is a processed food. Therefore, if you stick with natural foods, your grandson will be able to eat almost everything. Rice, potato, all fruits, all vegetables -- just NO processed food and no wheat. Gluten is the protein within the wheat and they actually processes this to remove from the wheat and use it in almost ALL processed foods, as fillers and other reasons.
Bread and pasta were the two items I missed the most, but I now make my own bread and we buy oriental pasta (made of rice
As mummydog says, we have it so much easier in today's world, but her Dad probably had it much harder since gluten free was not wide known. Again, just stick with natural foods exception of wheat and your grandson will do well. I willl send good wishes his way and hope he is feeling better and gaining weight real soon.
Before I knew about it, my stomach would be so bloated I almost looked pregnant and I felt horrible. It sounds like he is dealing with the same.

Yes, I think he is dealing with the same. He and his parents are already on a vegetarian diet (my daughter has been vegetarian since she was in middle school - I am not, nor have even been, a vegetarian, nor was her dad). So the baby does not eat red meat or poultry. They do occasionally eat fish, and they eat eggs and milk products. Sounds like they will have some new restrictions to their diet now. I got online to the Amazon.com site and they list a number of gluten-free bread mixes, cereals, etc. Sounds like we also need to read the labels carefully on any gluten-free products.