Celiac Disease: Children Aged 5-10

Many people throughout the world may be living with a disorder that they may not even realize they have. I have never heard of this disorder until a few years ago whenever my father was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Celiac disease is a chronic disease which usually attacks the proximal parts of the small intestine, which is caused by an inadequate immune reaction in contact with gluten in genetically predisposed persons (Osmancevic, 2011, p134). Celiac’s disease is when your body can’t digest any food that contains gluten, which is a protein that is found in wheat plants and used in flour products. Celiac disease is one of the most common lifelong disorders worldwide and is characterized by a variety of clinical presentations according to age group (Poplawska, 2008, p317). If you have Celiac’s and are eating foods with gluten than your body isn’t able to absorb nutrients from that food due to the damage of the intestines. If someone in your family has celiac disease than most likely it will pass on through genetics. Most tests and diagnosing can be done now in infant and younger aged children to detect early on.

Impact on patients and patient care

Because children are having bowel and stomach issues, parents are bringing their kids into the doctor more often. A child’s classic signs of celiac disease are abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, flatulence, and regurgitation (Samasca, Bruchental, Butnariu, Pirvan, Andreica, Cristea, and Dejica, 2011, p32). As many as 75 percent of children with CD are overweight or obese (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013). Some children may experience neurological symptoms which may include headaches, muscles coordination problems, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder (ADHD). ...

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... could occur if not treated.

References

Mayo clinic staff. (2010, July). Celiac disease: on the rise. Retrieved from www.mayo.edu/research/discovery-edge/celiac-disease-rise

Mayo clinic staff. (2013, May 22). Disease and conditions: celiac disease. Retrieved from www.mayoclinic.org/disease-conditions/celiac-disease

Osmancevic, L. (2011). The clinical characteristics of celiac disease in children at the time of detection. Paediatrics Today, 7(2), 133-139. Retrieved from www.paediatricstoday.com

Poplawska, A. (2008). How is celiac disease manifested nowadays in infants and small children?. Gastroenterolgia Polska, 15(3), 317-321. Retrieved from www.cornetis.com.pl

Samasca, G., Bruchental, M., Butnariu, A., Pirvan, A., Andreica, M., Cristea, V., & Dejica, D. (2011). Difficulties in celiac disease diagnosis in children. A Journal of Clinical Medicine, 6(1), 32-35.