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You wouldn’t stand idly by while your child struggles with constipation and diarrhea, would you? Surely not. So you should understand the symptoms and effects of gluten intolerance in your child’s life and get a doctor’s assistance in defining it.

Your physician will help you research any potential celiac disease symptoms. But it is important to know that diagnosis can be complicated. If you are lucky a simple blood panel will do, but other times a biopsy of the intestinal wall may be needed. And even if all the tests are negative, it it doesn’t necessarily mean your child isn’t suffering from some degree of gluten sensitivity.

After a blood test, a primary care physician might decide it essential to do a biopsy of the intestinal wall. If this shows negative, your doctor may still suggest you experiment with a gluten-free diet.

So you might as well start assembling your collection of gluten-free foods. Some people even argue gluten isn’t very good for anyone, not simply those with a intolerance to it, so it might be a good exercise as a parent. Natural grocers like Whole Foods and Wild Oats were leaders in gluten-free labeling — not just wheat-free — items within their aisles, so that should help too.

Only 15 years ago both the medical community and the natural health community lacked an understanding of gluten intolerance’s reach on the human population. Now we recognize that nearly 1 percent of the population suffer from some form of intolerance to gluten. We also have a better understanding of the seriousness of celiac disease long-term if left untreated.

Nowadays your doctor will be better equipped to discuss and diagnose celiac disease and your local stores should be more equipped with foods explicitly tagged as gluten-free.

You can also find a tremendous amount of support through various online forums as well as blogs. If your son or daughter struggled with celiac disease a decade ago, you would have felt far more alone and isolated.

It is challenging to watch your son or daughter struggle. It is yet more frustrating to watch your child struggle without really understanding why. If your child experiences digestive problems, you should get help from your physician in deciding if the problem is celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

When you have eliminated the untrustworthy brands and discovered a fresh world of healthy alternatives, you will find the gluten-free lifestyle more satisfying and less stressful than you thought at first. Remain optimistic and hopeful and your son or daughter will have a healthy childhood complete with fond experiences.