FAQ’s
Earliest sensitization can occur in a predisposed baby when wheat is introduced as a weaning food as early as 7-8 months of age. In adults disease may remain latent or silent and may express itself on receiving a trigger such as acute illness or stress.
Cracked lips, angular stomatitis nose bleed are frequently seen in CD. Mucosal healing is often delayed in CD.
If a person has CD and he is not properly treated and continues take wheat, he could develop thyroid issues, diabetes or intestinal lymphoma.
Breast feeding offers protection. Wheat introduced while breast feeding after 6 months of life, offers protection. Rota virus immunizations also offer protection.
The detection of CD is much easier now with the availability of serological tests. The incidence of CD has also gone up in last few decades due to genetically modified wheat.
One should always test for CD with following cases/symptoms:-
Bone/joint pains, Frequent oral ulcers, dental defects and dysplasia, multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies, delayed puberty, delayed menarche, infertility, auto immune diseases such as thyroiditis, juvenile diabetes mellitus, short stature, thyroid disease.
There is probably no profession which a person with CD cannot do. However professions such as baking, wheat farming etc are avoidable.
Yes and obese person can also develop CD.
The immunological mechanisms and changes in Celiac disease are very different compared to those in wheat allergy.
Wheat allergy is similar to allergy against dust and pollens and patient may develop tolerance to wheat. Therefore the wheat avoidance may not be life-long in allergy
This is a life long illness and it does not become OK on its own.
There are very few accredited labs for testing gluten. These labs are present only in larger cities. Kits like The EZ Gluten® Test Kit – An At-Home Kit for Detection of Gluten in Foods: are available in the US. Govt. of India is being urged to set up laboratories for gluten testing by Celiac Support Organization.
Proteins are necessary for body building. Increased protein intake can be done by adding eggs, daal, soyabean and other non-veg food to the diet. Supplements can be taken only when they are labeled gluten free.
The most important cause of not improving is not adhering to gluten free diet. Children of this age often become quietly not compliant due to peer pressure. There are other hidden sources of gluten which creep in the diet making the diet unsafe. So it is important to review, what diet the child is taking and if there are some lapses in it. Repeated please delete
This is a problem with unlabelled readymade food stuffs and while dining out. Gluten free labeling is now increasingly seen on packaged food. So it is good to check the labels for gluten.
While dining out one has to check with the chef. When in doubt it is best to avoid.
Gluten free diet must continue lifelong.
Even minute amount of wheat is not safe, so it is best to arrange for gluten free meals when the child is camping out. In Indian diets it is not difficult as daal and rice are available almost everywhere. Discussion must be done with the camp incharge explaining the child’s need to remain gluten free on the camp. Also some dry snacks should be provided to take along with him.
It is important to have a gluten free kitchen. Be very careful while preparing the meals. Food for celiac should be prepared first and kept separately if the kitchen cannot be separated. All flours should be ground at home after weeding out any grains of wheat which may have crept in.
Stopping wheat for the whole family, to ensure compliance is a great idea. It will only benefit you rather than harming you.
Yes definitely.
There are many genetic factors the influencing expression of CD. So when a person marries a celiac or non celiac , it would difficult to predict whether the children will be Celiac or non celiac.
Breast feeding offers protection against CD. Wheat introduced while breast feeding after 6 months of life, offers protection.
It runs in the families. All members should be screened for Celiac disease.
Typically in fresh case, supplements are given for at-least 6 months to make up for the losses and replenishing the stores. The doses have to be individually tailored.
The disease is not contagious. The children can safely share gluten free food making sure that there is no gluten contamination.
Even in Europe and USA, very few drugs and supplements are labelled regarding their gluten status. This very unfortunate. We must try to find out by writing to the drug company. CSO is also engaged in this issue of labelling in a big way.
Research is going on and hopefully we might have some answers in the future.
It is not true at all. Do not be misled by these advertisements.
The most important cause of not improving is not adhering to gluten free diet. Children of this age often become quietly not compliant due to peer pressure. There are other hidden sources of gluten which creep in the diet making the diet unsafe. So it is important to review, what diet the child is taking and if there are some lapses in it.
It cannot be detected in antenatal period as the disease occurs only after ingestion of wheat. However Genetic studies can be done on the amniotic fluid to study the HLA type of the baby.
Yes , CD is important cause of infertility in females.
Research is on and we are optimistic about some useful solution.
Even miniscule amount of wheat is dangerous. The damage to gut on wheat intake cannot be quantified. Regression is also subjective, depending on the individual severity of disease. It is risky to make such experiments and put oneself to tremendous health risk.
It is important to check hemoglobin, monitor the weight and height of the child on a regular basis in addition to checking for compliance and adequacy of the gluten free diet.
tTG need not be repeated frequently, once a year is enough.
You should now continue with strict gluten free diet. Keep monitoring the tTG on a yearly basis.
As the girl is now in the pre-puberty period any attempt to to do challenge with wheat can interfere in her growth and puberty.
It is true that gluten free diet works out more expensive than normal diet. Many govt. provides subsidies/tax exceptions to such patients, however in India there is no such provision. This issue is also being taken up by Celiac Support Organization.
There are very few accredited labs for testing gluten. These labs are present only in larger cities. Kits like The EZ Gluten® Test Kit – An At-Home Kit for Detection of Gluten in Foods: are available in the US. Govt. of India is being urged to set up laboratories for gluten testing by Celiac Support Organization.
