Once you give birth to your little angel, you discover that life is not a bed of roses. There are umpteen health issues that crop up leaving you extremely apprehensive and tense for your little baby. One such common issue, that a lot of babies face is Celiac Disease. When your baby has celiac disease, you may be apprehensive of whether you can breastfeed your baby and if celiac disease and breast feeding go hand in hand?
So, what exactly is celiac disease? This condition normally starts as an allergic reaction to gluten products that can trigger all kinds of complications for the little baby. You need not panic as there is definitely a cure for this disease and you can breastfeed your baby with celiac disease too. Read ahead to find out more about this disease and what should be done to treat it and whether you can breastfeed your baby or not.
In This Article
- What is Celiac Disease?
- What Causes Celiac Disease in Babies?
- Symptoms Of Celiac Disease In Babies
- How To Diagnose Celiac Disease In Babies?
- Treatment For Celiac Condition In Babies
- Celiac Disease And Breast Feeding – Can Breastfeeding Help Control Celiac Disease?
- FAQ’s
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that is inherited and where the baby’s immunity system responds to gluten. Gluten is a kind of protein that is typically found in barley, rye, and wheat. If your little one is a victim of celiac disease, the immune attack affects the intestinal walls of the baby. This triggers all kinds of issues like nutritional deficiency, improper growth, weakened bones, and anemia.
What Causes Celiac Disease in Babies?
The exact causes of celiac disease in babies are not known. Here are a couple of factors that we know about the causes of celiac disease in babies.
1. Celiac Disease is Hereditary
Celiac disease usually runs in families. So, if you or your spouse have a family history of celiac disease or any close relatives have this condition, there are high chances that your baby might contract it too.
2. Genetic Mutations Can Trigger Celiac Disease in Small Babies
Mutations in the genes belonging to Human Leucocytic Antigen or HLA complex can cause celiac disease. The HLA complex is a system that helps your body’s immune system distinguish your body’s protein from those created by foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses. Defects in the genes HLA-DQ1A and HLA-DQB1 can result in celiac disease.
3. External Issues And Infections Can Also Trigger This Condition
According to some research studies, pesticides, pollutants and chemicals can all lead to celiac disease.
Symptoms Of Celiac Disease In Babies
Some of the major telltale signs that indicate that your little one may be suffering from celiac disease include
- Loss of weight
- Lack of proper development or growth
- Constipation issues
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Rashes on the skin
- Acid Reflux or heartburn
- Pain in the joints
- Tiredness
There is every chance that this condition can go unnoticed in little babies as most babies always seem to experience bloating of the tummy and diarrhea quite often. However, you need to be alert and talk the peditrician if the baby’s diarrhea continues for more than ten or twelve days and they appear to be in some kind of discomfort and pain. Smelly stools, potbelly, and severe irritability are other signals that you should not ignore.
How To Diagnose Celiac Disease In Babies?
Diagnosis of this condition at the right time plays an important role in controlling the disease and overall wellbeing of your little baby. Very often the condition may be mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome and go untreated. Some of the tests to diagnose celiac disease in babies are:
1. Blood Test
A blood test helps determine the levels of raise in antibodies. Higher levels of antibodies can indicate the presence of celiac disease.
2. Endoscopy
If the blood is positive for celiac disease, the doctor will usually perform an endoscopy to confirm the diagnosis. Here a small flexible tube is inserted through the mouth into the intestine to view the small intestine and evaluate the extent of damage
3. Capsule Endoscopy
Capsule endoscopy is another way of confirming the diagnosis. It uses a small wireless camera in the shape of a pill to take a comprehensive picture of the small intestine. The tiny camera travels through the internal digestive tract that cannot be seen with endoscopy. It records the full view of the intestine and also the amount of intestinal damage
Treatment For Celiac Condition In Babies
The best remedy for this condition is to completely avoid gluten in the diet you give them. This includes avoiding
- Barley
- Malt
- Rye
- Wheat and by-products of wheat
- Triticale
And you need a total revamping of the little one’s diet in order to suit her requirements.
You can include:
- Rice
- Corn
- Tapioca
- Arrowroot
- Soy
- Quinoa
- Buckwheat
- Sorghum
Just try out some simple recipes with the above-mentioned flours and make yummy porridges for the little one in order to ensure they have a diet free of gluten and at the same time nutritious too. It will take quite a considerable amount of time to totally remove all traces of gluten from the system and become fully gluten-free.
Celiac Disease And Breast Feeding – Can Breastfeeding Help Control Celiac Disease?
It has been proven that breastfeeding your little one can avert or even delay this disease by introducing small quantities of gluten to the little one through breast milk. This will be beneficial from the variations in the bacteria present in the intestines.
Breastfed babies have an increased quantity of bifidobacteria in their system. Victims of celiac disease do not have high amounts of bifidobacteria in the gut. The presence of gluten in the intestinal cells permits cells to accept gluten rather than resulting in inflammation. This makes the profusion of bifidobacteria present in the intestines of babies who feed on breast milk lower the chances of developing celiac disease.
- Make sure you breastfeed your baby for at least six months especially if the little one is at a higher risk of developing this disease later in life
- After say four months, you can slowly begin by introducing very small quantity of barley cereal to your baby while you are still breastfeeding so that the little one’s system gets used to tolerating gluten well
- Exclusive breast milk for the first six months can postpone the onset of celiac indications for at least one and a half years
Make sure you take all the necessary precautions to delay the chances of your little one being a victim of this disease if your child is prone to developing celiac disease.
Babies do have chances of suffering from celiac disease and breastfeeding is the best way to keep your baby safe from the effects of this disease. It is important to be aware of stomach issues such as diarrhea, bloating, and smelly stools that last more than a couple of weeks. Your pediatrician will guide you on the further course of action if your baby tests positive for celiac disease.
FAQ’s
1. At What Age is Celiac Disease Diagnosed?
Celiac disease symptoms can appear at any time from infancy to adulthood in a human’s life. Diagnosis of this condition in babies depends on how quickly the parents can recognise the tell-tale signs of the disease and approach a pediatrician.
2. Can a Baby Grow Out of Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune and inherited condition. It is not possible to grow out of this condition and it is lifelong in most cases. Only management of this condition is possible.
3. What Foods Trigger Celiac Disease?
Foods that contain gluten trigger celiac disease. Examples include breads, cereals, pastas, biscuits, cakes, pastries, etc
4. Is Celiac Disease Genetic?
Yes, celiac disease is genetic in most cases and is inherited from one generation to the next.
