An illness of the digestive tract, celiac disease is triggered by the ingestion of gluten and leads to a variety of unpleasant symptoms. Young children are also at risk of being impacted.

Refueling ourselves with food is a fundamental aspect of human civilisation. But what happens when one's digestive system isn't able to break down the food they eat? Or even worse, they have celiac disease and their body rejects the grain that is central to their nutrition?

What precisely is celiac disease?

With celiac disease, the body has an abnormal reaction to gluten, causing digestive issues. Gluten is a kind of protein present in many common cereals. Malabsorption of nutrients, and even intestinal injury, can result from the body's negative response to this protein. Ignoring the symptoms of celiac disease can have devastating effects on a person's health and quality of life. Thus, it is crucial to act quickly. Especially in kids, because signs are often overlooked when they're young.

Symptoms

Symptoms of may vary in intensity from person to person and over time as a result of factors like food, exercise, and hormone levels. Historically, stomach issues and stunted development were thought to be signs of celiac disease. However, as medical science has progressed, so too has our understanding of the condition and its symptoms. Celiac disease may go misdiagnosed for a long time because of our sedentary lifestyles and the habit of bad eating; in such cases, the disease is commonly detected only after serious nutritional insufficiency has set in.

Diagnosis and treatment of childhood celiac disease

Since most infants start eating solid meals after 6 months of age, the onset of symptoms might occur as early as a year of age. Due to the similarity between the symptoms of celiac disease and those of other disorders, a prompt diagnosis of this autoimmune disease requires a physician with extensive training and expertise.

A paediatric gastroenterologist can make the diagnosis by ordering bloodwork, genetic testing, and/or a biopsy. If the results of the early tests point to the possibility of celiac disease, the next step is an endoscopy and biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and determine the best course of therapy.

When conducted by a trained paediatric gastroenterologist on a kid, endoscopy is a safe treatment even for the youngest of patients.Signs that children typically exhibit include:

Chronic stomach discomfort

• Glutinous meal causes protracted gas and bloating.
• Stomach issues that last a long time
• Nausea following eating of glutinous food

Slow Development

And in many cases, signs of the condition may not become apparent until much later in life. This syndrome is associated with a high risk of anaemia and vitamin D deficiency due to malabsorption.

Some other symptoms include:

• Accidental weight loss
• Exhaustion for no reason
• Aggression and irritability
• Academic failure
• Excessive weight gain
• Ulcers of the mouth
• Itchy rashes