Celiac children here: some tips

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease of genetic origin that can have serious consequences, in some cases irreversible. The cure is only a gluten-free diet but perhaps the much-needed celiac medicine is about to arrive.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease of genetic origin which, if not diagnosed and treated promptly, can have serious consequences, in some cases irreversible. It occurs following the ingestion of wheat proteins that damage the intestinal mucosa.

For those who suffer from it, foods such as bread, pasta, pizza, biscuits are absolutely prohibited. The “offending” substance responsible for this serious food intolerance is in fact the gluten present in wheat, spelled, oats, kamut, barley, rye, spelled and triticale. Specifically, what the celiac person's body cannot digest and absorb is a protein component of gluten, that is gliadin.

Celiac children: the disease in different forms
Typical, where symptoms are mostly diarrhea and stunting;

Atypical , which presents late with mainly extraintestinal symptoms (such as anemia);
Dumbledore, in which there are no obvious symptoms;

Potential , highlighted by positive serological tests (presence of IgA and IgG antigliadin) but with normal intestinal biopsy.

In young celiac children, in most cases, gluten intolerance is evident a few months after the introduction of gluten in the diet with the characteristic symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, irritability, stunting or weight loss.
In the forms that begin later, i.e. after the 2nd-3rd year of life, gastrointestinal disorders are less intense and other symptoms generally prevail, such as a delay in the growth of height and / or weight, delay in pubertal development , recurrent abdominal pain and anemia that does not resolve even with oral iron administration. The gluten-free diet, strictly conducted, is the only therapy that guarantees celiac children a perfect state of health.

Celiac children: the diet.

Following the diet that requires celiac disease implies a strong commitment to food education and great control on the part of parents because if it is true that celiac children can safely eat meat, milk, dairy products, eggs, vegetables, rice and corn that does not contain gluten, it is also true that all foods containing wheat, barley and their derivatives, such as malt, should be eliminated from the diet. This means that the child should be denied most packaged foods, from snacks to cakes, pasta and bread, pizza.

Except that now on the market it is possible to find various substitute products, which carry the initials of gluten-free foods (the symbol is that of the crossed ear) that allow celiac children to follow a varied and balanced diet and to significantly reduce the list prohibited foods. In fact, as an alternative or in combination with flours that contain gluten, it is possible to use flours and other derivatives of potatoes, rice, soy or other legumes.

How to follow a healthy and correct diet.

Ultimately, the greatest difficulty for parents of celiac children concerns food management: the diet must be organized based on the detailed information available on the ingredients of each product on sale in supermarkets or the dishes of a restaurant or canteen. The problem is that gluten can often be "hidden" in some foods, even in some drugs as an additive, flavoring or preservative.

For this reason it is very important that parents make sure that even sauces, gravies and drinks do not contain gluten, even in a minimal part. In the same way, it is necessary to check the labels of industrial products, such as ice creams, nuts, cured meats because gluten may be present in the composition of the thickeners. Today, many products feature the words "gluten-free" and this is a valuable precaution for celiacs.
Celiac disease.
However, it is better to read the label carefully to avoid nasty surprises and request detailed information on the dishes in case you are in a restaurant. From this point of view in recent years the situation has improved a lot because there is a greater attention towards this disease. The word gluten free appears more and more often on supermarket shelves to indicate products that are safe for people with celiac disease and there are more and more restaurants that specify gluten-free courses in their menus.
But we must also pay close attention at home: in the kitchen nothing must be "contaminated" by gluten. For example, you must make sure that the boiling water has not been previously used, perhaps to cook pasta, or that there is even a minimum trace of the substance on the dishes or plates.