Raising Kids Gluten-Free In SG

This story is not – we repeat, not – about the latest food fad. For many families, going gluten-free is the difference between being healthy, or feeling sick. All. The. Time. Get help here!

- Andrea McKenna Brankin

“Frustration.” That’s what 13-year-old Cate McNulty feltwhen, four months ago, she was diagnosed with Celiac disease, an autoimmune condition in which the body cannot tolerate gluten. The disease causes bloating and other unpleasant symptoms such as poor-quality sleep, constipation or even diarrhoea and vomiting.

If Cate has gluten, she explains, “I feel terrible for two days, and spend time backtracking to figure out what I ate that made me sick.”

Though Celiac disease is treatable, it can bring on a host of symptoms, including digestive issues – like Cate’s – and nutritional deficiencies, such as the malabsorption of iron, vitamin B12, zinc and other nutrients. The disease affects about 1 out of every 100 people.

And, there has been a substantial increase in the prevalence of Celiac disease over the last 50 years – with more people being diagnosed in the last 10 years, likely due to more attention given to gluten-aggravated symptoms, say experts interviewed for this story. Celiac disease is usually detected by blood tests and confirmed by small-intestine biopsies. Other testing may include genetic risk testing to see if the person is predisposed to the condition.

A different diagnosis, with similar symptoms to Celiac disease, is gluten intolerance, or Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS). “If the work-up for Celiac disease is negative for an individual with symptoms associated with gluten intolerance, they may be diagnosed with NCGS,” explains Dr. Brian Schwender, who is a Senior Consultant for Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Tucker Medical (www.tuckermedical.com).

Getting Diagnosed