Gluten intolerance or celiac disease in babies and children

Like the skin, our baby’s little bottle is fragile from birth. The early introduction of cereals, an important intake of gluten, the absence of breastfeeding, or even, of course, a genetic predisposition, can contribute to the development of celiac disease, better known under the expression of “intolerance gluten ”.

Everything happens in your kid’s belly: when gluten comes into contact with the lining of his small intestine, it triggers a reaction that leads to destruction of the intestinal wall. This can no longer play its absorption role and the nutrients contained in baby’s food are eliminated naturally a few hours later. This is the famous gluten intolerance.

Constipation or diarrhea: what are the symptoms in babies and children?

Without overdoing it, vigilance is required during the period offood diversification, in particular when introducing 2nd age flours containing gluten. A few weeks have passed, nothing to report. But now your child begins to have diarrhea, become cranky and lose weight visibly … A radical change that Solenne observed in her daughter, aged 10 months, at the time: “My little Lucie went from a chubby baby (8,6kg and 69cm) to a baby without a smile, crying most of the day and refusing any food ”.

The most frequent symptoms are therefore:

• fatigue or irritability
• diarrhea
• weight loss
• bloating or stomach pain
• nausea
• slower growth

All these manifestations are, in principle, the first symptoms of celiac disease (or gluten intolerance) and affect on average the little ones. aged 6 months to 2 years. They can appear in the weeks or months following the appearance of gluten in baby’s bottle, following food diversification, or even later, when our child is several months or even years old.

«Before discovering his illness, in February 2006, my son was suffering from malnutrition due to poor absorption of food. He had episodes of gastroenteritis followed by severe constipation“, Says Céline, mother of Mathis, 2 and a half years old.

« If parents have any doubts about their child, it is imperative that they make an appointment with a specialist, such as a gastro-pediatrician or an enterologist. It is very important that an accurate diagnosis is made », Explains Doctor Jean-Michel Lecerf, nutritionist and head of the nutrition department at the Institut Pasteur in Lille.

Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, what is it?

For adults, we speak more of gluten intolerance: it is a malabsortive intestinal disease, with atrophy of the intestinal villi which improves when the patient does not consume gluten and which recurs if it is reintroduced. The diet is therefore for life.

For children, on the other hand, it is called celiac disease.

Gluten: how do I know if my child is allergic? From diagnosis to treatment

Assays of antigliadin antibodies (gliadin is the “toxic” protein contained in wheat, spelled and kamut) and vitamin A for assess fat malabsorption : these serological tests are an essential step in establishing the diagnosis of celiac disease. Your child may not like it, but these techniques have the advantage of being very reliable.

Your pediatrician can also refer you to a specialist in the field, gastro-pediatrician. Fanny, mother of Grégoire, diagnosed at the age of two and a half, remembers: “The specialist immediately put him on a gluten-free diet while awaiting the results of the blood tests. The improvement has been very marked. For confirmation, she gave him a bowel biopsy.“. This examination allows not only to confirm the diagnosis of celiac disease but also to verify the effectiveness of the gluten-free diet.

How to cure celiac disease?

Your doctor is categorical: your little one cannot stand gluten. Know that to treat celiac disease, no medication is needed. The only existing treatment to date is simple: it is based on gluten avoidance your child’s diet. A restrictive regime but essential for his health.

And no question of stopping the treatment, at the risk of aggravating the disease by malnutrition or anemia. Poor monitoring can lead to stunted growth and even increase the risk of cancer.

What if baby mistakenly eat gluten? His life will not be in danger but he will have a good diarrhea …

An effective although restrictive treatment

«My son had slow or non-existent growth for several months. Her weight was always around 9.400 kg for 5 months and after the exclusion of gluten, her curve started again. The most surprising thing is that for psychomotor development, it was the same thing“, Testifies Anne Béatrice, mother of Mattys, 22 months old and diagnosed with gluten intolerance two months earlier.

Indeed, for some children, growth and psychomotor development are hampered by celiac disease. If this is the case for yours, then you will need to be patient. “The longest in our case is the resumption of the size because Lucie is small compared to her age and her waist curve goes up very slowly but she is voluntary and full of life.“, Underlines Solenne, his mother.

Gluten under the microscope

Feeding gluten-rich cereals to babies aged 4 to 6 months who are prone to celiac disease may prevent or delay the onset of allergy, according to a study conducted by a team of researchers from Colorado in the United States. Other scientists, for their part, concluded their study by warning that introducing cereals rich in gluten before three months or after seven months would increase the risk of developing the disease…!

While awaiting the establishment of a long-term follow-up for predisposed children and an agreement between scientists, the American Academy of Pediatricians recommends theexclusive breastfeeding for the first six months for all infants, predisposed or not.

Gluten-free diet: a lifetime diet?

Excluding gluten from your little one’s meals is no easy task. ” If the parents are doing homemade things, it is ideal for this kind of diet. Meat, poultry, fish, vegetables and fruit do not contain gluten. However, care must be taken not to add too much fat to their dishes to maintain good food hygiene. », Specifies Jean-Michel Lecerf.

Gluten is the generic name given to a protein found in different grains such as wheat, oats, barley, kamut, spelled, triticale and their derivatives. Vigilance is all the more necessary because gluten can have different names on the packaging and is also present in certain drugs. This special regime will necessarily involve a change in your consumption pattern… And your wallet, even if part of the food costs are covered by social security.

When it comes to finding the right foods for your child, health food and organic stores offer the most choices.

Diet with the family, at the nursery … How to organize?

On the practical side, reserve a floor in the kitchen for gluten-free products and do not mix kitchen utensils. And for community life? Obviously, this must be pointed out and in certain cases provided the appropriate food. “When Grégoire was in the nursery, they refused him for a few weeks because he was absolutely not able to live at the same time as the other children. He went back there and everything went well. The cooking was done on the spot and they made adapted menus for him“, Remembers Fanny, his mother.

No dead ends on the labels!

Among the prohibited foods are: starch from wheat or other cereals, malt, breadcrumbs, breadcrumbs, breakfast cereals, processed cheeses, sauces, flavored yogurts, store-bought pasta, etc. This list is not exhaustive.

A doubt, a question? do not hesitate to ask advice from your pediatrician or the Association Française des Intolerants au Gluten (AFDIAG), which can be reached on 01 56 08 08 22 or on their website.

To read :

Naturally gluten-free from Valérie Cupillard. Edition The beach.

130 gluten-free recipes by Sandrine Giacobetti. Edition Marabout.

Gourmet recipes for sensitive people by Eva Claire Pasquier. Editor Guy Tredaniel.