LUDHIANA: Celiac disease or ‘wheat allergy’ is quite common among children, who are diagnosed to have autoimmune disorder caused by intolerance to gluten, said Dr Deepak Bhat, professor of pediatrics in DMCH. Gluten is the general name of the proteins found in wheat, rye and barley and other grains derived from them.
Department of pediatrics under the headship of Dr Puneet Alakh Pooni has been continuously conducting awareness sessions for parents and children with celiac disease. DMCH has all the facilities to manage children with celiac disease by conducting an exclusive celiac diseases clinic on every Monday in Pediatrics OPD of the hospital.
Adapting to gluten-free diet can be quite challenging for child and his parents but over the time, it becomes routine for both of them, said Dr Pooni. The disease can lead to a wide variety of symptoms. Children may not gain weight and height as expected for their ages. Some children can have diarrhoea, abdominal pain, bloating, fatigue and unexplained anaemia (low haemoglobin).
According to Dr Deepak Bhat, symptoms of celiac disease can happen at any time in a child's life. Some children may develop symptoms in the very first year of life when they are exposed to gluten, while others may develop symptoms after consuming gluten products for years.
Diagnosing celiac disease usually begins with a simple blood test that measures the level of antibodies to gluten and other proteins in the lining of the intestine. If high levels of these antibodies are found, the doctor is likely to order for a small intestine and for more tests.