RE: Celiac testing for young children

[Guest guest]

If your son had not been eating much gluten prior to the test the

test would not be accurate. Blood tests aren’t likely to catch

someone who is not very sick anyway, and if he was not eating much gluten or

having symptoms at the time of testing he may not have had enough antibodies in

the blood to detect. The antibody test is not a definitive yes or no

answer as to whether someone has CD or not; it is only looking at a snapshot of

what is in the blood at the moment.

Other things to look for are repressed immune system (lots of

colds, constant runny nose or cough); behavioral changes (irritability, wild or

unusual behavior); attention problems; lack of energy; hair loss or quality

changes; other allergies (soy, dairy, nuts, etc); anemia; dental problems.

For many people, CD can be almost asymptomatic. I knew one person whose

only symptom was a lesion on the corner of his mouth that wouldn’t heal,

and another who had no obvious symptoms but was tested because her mother had

CD.

Also, for many celiacs, eating occasional gluten only aggravates

the condition, as the antibodies flare up each time the body is exposed to

gluten. If you want more info on testing/antibodies, feel free to e-mail me

directly.

Pam Newbury