Celiac Disease in Children

Roughly 40,000 Americans have been diagnosed with celiac disease. Children, as well as adults, can develop the digestive condition, which is aggravated by the consumption of gluten, a protein found in foods containing wheat, barley, or rye. Although the exact cause of celiac disease is unknown, it is often hereditary.

If your children are diagnosed with celiac disease, don't fret. Take comfort in the fact that celiac disease is often treatable. In general, intestinal damage caused by the disorder is reversible, and treatments usually don't involve shots, surgery, or life-long medications. One way to help prevent your children from having symptoms such as abdominal pain, weight loss, chronic diarrhea, irritability, vomiting, stunted growth, mouth sores, or skin rashes may be to eliminate gluten from their diet.

Although it can be difficult keeping cookies and pizza from your kids, there are many delicious foods children with celiac disease may be able to enjoy. They include:

Once you are ready to prepare meals from these foods, it's important to be aware of cross contamination between gluten and gluten-free products. To help avoid potential gluten contamination from breadcrumbs, it's advisable to purchase separate jars of jam, mayonnaise, and peanut butter. Also, you may want to consider either using separate toasters for gluten and gluten-free breads, or using a toaster that can be cleaned between uses. Pots, cooking utensils, and cutting boards should be cleaned thoroughly after each use and before cooking gluten-free products.

Using these tips will make preparing meals and snacks for your children with celiac disease second nature.