For Moms Who Have Kids with Celiac Disease

I just read a recent report in the GIG (national Gluten Intolerance Group) quarterly magazine that children born to mothers who suffer an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, or celiac disease (I would presume that to also mean gluten intolerance) have a much higher rate/incidence of contacting some form of autism/autism spectrum disorder. I know you stated it's your husband who has the celiac disease--but your daughter still got half her genes from him.

I have severe gluten intolerance and my daughter is on the high functioning autism spectrum. It was very interesting to me to see that they have now found that celiac disease/gluten intolerance and the immune system/nutrient disturbance/imbalance can have an impact on autism.

So yes, I would not only have your daughter tested for celiac disease, I would also have her looked at for a high functioning autism spectrum disorder.

We always knew there was something different about our daughter, almost from birth; we didn't find out what that difference was until she was 5 years old and starting Kindergarten. It would have been so much nicer if we would have known even earlier, because we could have helped her earlier.

We have changed our household eating habits to eating only organic food, no processed food, and got rid of all preservatives, chemicals, dyes, colorings, hormones, nitrites/nitrates, etc. We also do not use cow milk products (my husband and I have a casein allergy) or any soy products (my husband and I are intolerant). In addition to me, my husband and daughter also have a moderate and mild intolerance to gluten/gliadin.

Since we've drastically changed our family eating habits in Aug 2008, our daughter has gotten tremendously better. Casein and gluten have been implicated in a lot of autism problems. Instead of cow/dairy products, we use goat, sheep, and coconut or other milk products like rice or almond (there's also hemp, oat, and soy--we don't use soy because of intolerance and also because of the high estrogen).

Many people with Celiac disease are also lactose intolerant; it just ends up that our household has gluten intolerance and we're allergic to casein. A naturopathic doctor can test your daughter for food allergies/intolerances and can also help you navigate your way through figuring out your daughter's issues. We also discovered that all three of us have a specific gene mutation that doesn't allow our bodies to detox or metabolize correctly. By extension, that also means that our bodies aren't able to get rid of heavy metals without help. My daughter and I had severe heavy metal toxicity before we began chelating, which has helped both of us enormously. Certain heavy metals are known to have an adverse affect on children and anger issues.

If you'd like to talk more, please contact me.

so many mothers are quick to label their kids as naughty and sadly they live up to the label. I know when I was young I acted out when I felt unloved. My mom always said I couldn't have felt that way because I got so much attention... I demanded it! Well perhaps my demanding the attention in a negitive way got the attention turned to me so it was a circle. I agree with putting her on the diet as your husband and to have her tested. I also would try to figure out when she is starting to act out. Is she jealous her older sister is going to kindergarten and she isn't big enough yet? Does the older one make sure to point that out? It is good she is telling you her feelings rather then act them out so encourage that and label it for her. "I know you are upset because you can't go to kindergarten yet and that is ok to want to be able to do what your sister does, but just as she had to wait until she is old enough, so do you" Giving her names for the feelings and giving them a reason to look at the bright side may help. You could point out that while her sister is in school, it makes her the oldest at home and you need her help with the new baby.... then make it special for her. Never call her naughty because she isn't, her behavior is but she isn't. As for the not listening and talking back, she does it because she can and needs consistant results for the behavior. I have seen my daughter in law sit my granddaughter down on a bench in the store for time out when she misbehaves. Thing is it has to happen right away, not warned 5 or six times then as a last resort and it can't be one where you are paying attention to her but able to turn your back to her so she doesn't have your attention. Then when she does act nicely or listens make sure you reward her with praise for the good behavior and no mention of the times she misbehaved. You want to bring across that you don't remember those bad times but you really enjoy and remember those those good times. Good luck.

If you see problems with violence, you should have her see someone but don't put it as she has to talk with this person because she is doing bad things, tell her it is a special friend for her to talk with... that way she may be more willing to open up and not be shy about telling her feelings to her. Something may have happened that has her acting out because she is holding in feelings, whether it is being teased or picked on by someone or because she feels replaced with a new baby.

Since you're already doing gluten free for your husband, you wouldn't have anything to lose by going that way with her and seeing if it helps. Also, I found, and have heard other mothers say, that it wasn't the terrible twos so much as the terrible threes. Now my (now middle child - baby is 7 months) is 4, and is still somewhat terrible. I think some kids are just a lot more rambunctious than others, and some are just more mild mannered than others. I do highly recommend the book Making the Terrible Twos Terrific by John Rosemond. It is excellent, and would still apply. He does talk about "threes" in there some too. His Six Point Plan for Raising Happy Healthy Children is also excellent, and he has a new book out on discipline, which I haven't read yet.

Since your husband is eatting glutten free, I would put your daughter on the same diet. Then you may see a difference in her behavior. You have nothing to loose by trying it and possibly a lot to gain.

Those really sound like normal 3 yr old behaviors to me. And I have a very good child - most of the time. They all go through a phase of boundry testing, especially when a new child comes along. My daughter went through this too. We kept the rules firm, began having more time outs for "naughty" behaviors, which really include anything disobedient, and gave her more one on one positive attention. She got over it. If you respond with anger, contempt or dispair it will only aggravate the behavior. Give calm time outs for EVERY bad behavior. It will work, it just might mean a few tough days. You simply must be firm.

On the plus, I think it's a good thing that your daughter verbally addressed her anger rather than being aggressive. That is quite a sign of maturity!

Please let me know how the test ends up. Our son is 5 (and yes he has started to be particularly 'naughty' since our second son was born 10 weeks ago. Let us all remember first how NORMAL that is. But we could have celiac disease as a concern as well. I have noticed some irregularity in his bowels.
Please let me know.
M.

Hi T.,

One of the reasons for the behavior in children with Celiac is because they have pain and can't express it properly. Some are on meds that complicate behavioral problems. Even if it's not Celiac it could be another type of digestive disorder. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis when I was 11 and I remember my mom saying that explained a lot. No little one knows that pain is not part of normal, because they haven't had normal yet.

To you and your husband, I lived with my UC for 35 years before I understood that I was treated wrong by the doctors all that time (and they aer still treating patients the same way). Once I took the reigns of my own health, I was able to get rid of it and live a normal life. My kids don't have those issues because I knew how to prevent it. If you'd like to talk, I'll be glad to tell you what I did....

M.