Once Celiac Disease is diagnosed the patient must go on complete gluten free diet (GFD). GFD is life-long as the disease is also life-long and has to be 100%. This means that every morsel that goes into the childs mouth has to be gluten free and has to be followed each time with no exceptions. This must be emphasized at the time of diagnosis and that also means that the diagnosis of Celiac Disease must be irrefutable. Gluten free food means gluten less than 20 ppm or less than 20 mg per kg of that food. Hence a speck of the toast can also be toxic.
Initially most patients when diagnosed will be anemic, vitamin and mineral deficient and they should be supplemented for the initial few months. They maybe lactose intolerant as well that often resolves once the villi regenerate.
There are a lot of gluten free options now available but it is good practice to make gluten free food at home from naturally gluten free products. With this treatment, the child often shows improvement within weeks and the Tissue transglutaminase IgA (tTG) slowly starts to reduce and becomes negative within 2 years of diagnosis.
Dr Pankaj Vohra - Author – “Celiac Disease - A Comprehensive Guide (NBT Publication)”
Read more related information, Click Here
If you have a question on some other topic, Click Here