Nursery World - A Unique Child - Health: A Guide to ... Coeliac disease

Staff in early years settings will have to take special care in food handling if a child is intolerant to gluten. Coeliac UK offers advice.

What is coeliac disease?

Coeliac disease is a lifelong auto-immune disease, caused by intolerance to gluten, a protein found in the cereals wheat, rye and barley. Some people with coeliac disease may also be sensitive to oats. When eating gluten it causes damage to the lining of the gut, which means food cannot be absorbed properly. Coeliac disease is not contagious.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms may include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and excessive wind.

How is coeliac disease diagnosed?

The first step to diagnosis is a simple blood test, which looks for antibodies that the body makes in response to eating gluten.

The second step is a gut biopsy. This involves a thin flexible tube (an endoscope) being passed via the mouth and stomach and into the small intestine. Small samples of the gut lining (biopsies) are collected and later examined under a microscope to check for abnormalities typical in coeliac disease.

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