Celiac disease is a chronic disease that occurs in children due to intolerance to gluten, a vegetable protein found in some cereals, such as wheat, rye, oats, barley. In modern medicine, various terms are used to refer to this disease, including gluten enteropathy and non-tropical sprue. In celiac disease, gluten disrupts the absorption of nutrients into the small intestine. And the main feature of the disease is that after a complete exclusion from the diet of foods that contain gluten, clinical manifestations of celiac disease disappear, and the state of the intestinal wall is normalized. The reasons for this disease are not yet established. But perhaps the most important factor that influences the occurrence of celiac disease in a child is a genetic predisposition.
Celiac disease in children - symptoms
As a rule, this disease is manifested for the first time in children aged 6 to 8 months, because it is at this time that the introduction of complementary foods, in particular, products containing gluten, begins. The main signs of celiac disease are:
- poor appetite, and as a result, weight loss;
- slowing the pace of development after the introduction of complementary foods;
- stinking stool, diarrhea, vomiting;
- increased gassing in the intestine;
- swelling and abdominal pain;
- dystrophy of the skin, hair and nails;
- sores in the oral cavity;
- rick-like changes in bones;
- violation of the emotional state of the baby.
Celiac disease in children - treatment
The basis for treating celiac disease in children is adherence to a strict diet, in which products containing gluten are excluded from the child's diet. These include: bread, pasta, pastries, ice cream, as well as sausages, meat semi-finished products and some canned goods. Do not worry, the child will not remain hungry. There are many products allowed for use with celiac disease:
- potatoes, buckwheat, rice, soybeans, corn;
- vegetables and fruits;
- dairy products;
- low-fat meat and fish;
- vegetable oil.
Children under one year, in the case of pronounced symptoms of metabolic disorders, should stop the introduction of complementary foods for a while. In this period, the baby is better to feed specially adapted mixtures that contain hydrolyzed cow's milk or soy mixtures. After improving the child's condition, you can enter gluten-free lure.
Also, with an exacerbation of the disease to facilitate the work of the pancreas and liver, the gastroenterologist may resort to fermentotherapy. As a rule, microspheres are recommended. In addition, funds are prescribed that restore the normal intestinal microflora - probiotics. They are recommended to take, as in the period of exacerbation, and for preventive purposes 2-3 times a year.
Considering the violations of absorption and digestion, it is necessary to remember about the filling of the lack
Most importantly, it must be remembered that patients with celiac disease need to adhere to a gluten-free diet throughout their lives. Only in this case, the disease will not be exacerbated, and the child will live a full life, which does not differ from the life of healthy children.