What are the signs of Celiac disease in children?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a parent concerned about the possibility of my child having celiac disease. As a 6-year-old, they have been experiencing symptoms like abdominal pain and digestive issues. Can you please advise me on the screening process for celiac disease in pediatric patients? Can you provide insights into how celiac disease is diagnosed in children, including screening methods and potential next steps for managing the condition?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I went through your query and understood your concern.

I have a few questions.

1. Apart from abdominal pain, are there any other problems and symptoms?

2. Is he growing well?

3. Does he get diarrhea frequently?

4. Is there a family history of Celiac disease?

For diagnosis, you should do the following tests.

1. Routine blood test.

2. Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) immunoglobulin A (IgA) and tTG immunoglobulin G (IgG) tests.

3. Endomysial antibody (EMA) -IgA test.

4. Deamidated gliadin peptide (DGP) -IgA and DGP-IgG tests.

If tTG-IgA levels and an anti-endomysial antibiotic are positive then you need to go for confirmation with an intestinal biopsy.

Some prefer to go for a gluten challenge test also.

Once it is confirmed, then the treatment is to avoid gluten for the whole life along with vitamin supplements. With proper diet management, children do well and live a normal life.

Hope it helps.

Thank you.