Is your child suffering from a
failure to thrive?
Failure to thrive is a diagnosis given by your doctor if your baby or child is not growing and putting on the amount of weight that would be expected. Sometimes the child will stop growing and be short in stature. You can check your child's growth against the norm using the growth charts at keepkidshealthy.com
There can be many reasons for a failure to thrive, one of which is celiac disease.
Due to a problem with the lining of the small intestines the celiac child cannot absorb the nutrients it requires from the food it eats. We discuss the many and varied symptoms of celiac disease elsewhere on this site, but in the case of failure to thrive symptoms include irritability and decreased appetite, along with diarrhea and vomiting. In severe cases this can lead to dehydration.
If left untreated, the celiac child can develop the bloated stomach and matchstick like arms and legs more commonly seen in children living through a famine. Severe undernourishment from the malabsorption of nutrients can lead to anemia, osteoporosis and even cancer in later life.
Failure to thrive was one of the reasons my mother took me to the doctors when I was a baby and my story is echoed by that of Val from Canada.
Val shares her daughter's story below.
"My daughter, Vivianne, was born at 7lbs 13.5oz, and was happy and healthy.
Her symptoms started to appear at around 5 months old with very bad gas and horrid diapers, then progressed to her no longer
gaining any weight.
She saw the doctor many times for what we thought was the flu, and her lack of weight gain was chalked up to being because of this. But by the age of 9 months she still weighed the same as at 5 months old and the doctor was finally prepared to agree that there was a problem due to a failure to thrive.
I was instructed to put her onto a gluten free diet and a biopsy was booked. Having only a limited knowledge of celiac disease I decided to make my own baby food from only fruit and veggies.
During the biopsy scarring was found in her intestines. Due to my her having been on a gluten free diet for some time before the biopsy the doctors could not confirm 100% that the scarring was due to celiac disease. However they believed this was the problem and I was instructed to treat her as a celiac baby even without a definite diagnosis."
Val brings us up to date on the progress of her little girl, now aged 4
"After years of reading up on celiac disease and talking to any doctor who would listen,we are coping well with the diet.
But due to the inconclusive biopsy result I still wonder sometimes if I am depriving my daughter of normal food like birthday cakes.
I have now found some doctors who are prepared to retest her, but this just creates more turmoil in my heart. Part of me feels terrible not allowing her to eat normal food, while I also worry that feeding her normal food could make her ill."
Val passes on these encouraging words
"My daughters situation is not an ideal one, but we have adjusted and are just as happy together as I believe we would be if she
weren't a celiac. So I encourage people to embrace their differences and be happy, healthy, and thankful that following a gluten free diet is just a life style.
Summary
Celiac disease is just one cause of failure to thrive, please visit your doctor if your child is underweight or not growing properly.
If you have a story to share please see this page.
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