Yasith Weerasuriya Shares An Overview of Celiac Disease in Children

Celiac Disease might develop at any time after wheat or other foods with gluten are introduced to the child’s diet, generally after six to nine months of age. It is unclear as to why some children become ill early in their life while others fall ill after just some years of exposure. As a parent, you need to take your child for a test to the doctor when you witness early signs of celiac disease. It is hereditary and runs in the family. So, first-degree relatives have a one in ten chance of developing this disease. 

Yasith Weerasuriya – Taking care of a child with celiac disease 

Yasith Weerasuriya is one of the Board of Directors of the Celiac Disease Foundation and the President of Stanbridge University situated in Irvine and Los Angeles in California, USA.  He has over 20 years of experience in the field of executive leadership in the educational sector. He completed his education from the Wichita State University and the Irvine Valley College in the USA and was the founding President of the College Chapter of Phi Thera Kappa, President of the Honor Society, and the President of the Alpha Gamma Sigma Chapter.

The severity of the symptoms in a child

He says when it comes to celiac disease in children., symptoms are severe, and several kids experience symptoms within a few minutes to hours after the consumption of gluten that can last for a few hours. In some children, the symptoms might last for many days or even till two weeks. Most children have simple, simple symptoms to miss or overlook, such as abdominal pain, gas, or excessive constipation. Other children can have more serious symptoms like weight loss, vomiting and growth issues.

Treatment

The good news is both children and teens typically respond to the treatment of celiac disease well. They should be placed on a gluten-free diet. Most of them feel better after 15 days or two weeks from this diet. From this time, they are able to attain weight, height, and normal bone health.

Toddlers and infants

He says that both infants and toddlers have obvious symptoms that generally manifest in the gastrointestinal tract; they include however are not limited to the following-

• Poor growth.
• Abdominal distention.
• Diarrhea with foul-smelling stools.

School going children

In children going to school, vomiting is less common than in toddlers and infants. The symptoms here include but are not limited to-

• Aches in the abdominal or stomach area.
• Trouble gaining weight or loss in weight.
• Abdominal distention.

Yasith Weerasuriya says that older children and teens might have symptoms or any signs that are not connected to the intestinal tract. These signs are known as extraintestinal or atypical symptoms. They convince a doctor to test the child for celiac disease. The manifestations include weight loss, delayed puberty, chronic fatigue, an itchy skin rash, aches and pains in the joints or bones, stunted growth, and other signs.