Has anyone tried a gluten free diet for their child? Did it seem to help and is it as restrictive as it seems?

Question

Has anyone tried a gluten free diet for their child? Did it seem to help and is it as restrictive as it seems?

Answer 1

It all depends. I was diagnosed with Celiac and I hadn't even had any symptoms, except being underweight and slow growing. After starting the gluten free diet I started growing quickly and feeling better right away! If your child has celiac disease and has stomach pains or other symptoms, it will definitely help! But if celiac is not definitely the problem, it may or may not help. You could always try.

You just have to look out for wheat, rye (which I rarely see), or barley/malt on ingredient labels. It can be tough when going out to parties, but there are so many companies now that make special gluten free foods, so at home I forget I'm even eating gluten free!

If you try it, I can help you out if you email me at [e-mail]. These websites have great gluten free food and are dedicated to making gluten free.

http://www.kinnikinnick.com/

https://www.namastefoods.com/

http://www.babycakesnyc.com/

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

My first question is why you are considering a GF diet.

GF diets are often recommended for ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and other behavioural neurological conditions.

We put our son on a GF diet for suspected aspergers (now diagnosed) when he was in grade 4. Little did we know that a host of long-term health problems were actually caused by his gluten intolerance. Not only did his behaviour and attention span improve significantly, he was relieved of chronic constipation, a terrible skin condition, and of being underweight.

He is now diagnosed as celiac. Our other son is GF for migraine, and it seems to help.

Eating GF is restrictive, but it is worth it in many cases, and you soon get used to it. It's all about attitude!