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I can’t insist enough the importance of teaching your child about his own condition and cross-contamination. How much your child can absorb depends on his age and maturity level. You’ll be surprised by how much a child is capable of understanding, though. Even two-year-olds can practice “reading” labels with you at the grocery store. Practice with your celiac child at home how to explain information about cross-contamination to others and how to say “No, thank you,” when he is offered foods which may contain gluten.
With the increased support for celiac disease research, in the not-too-distant future an enzyme may be developed that can be taken with food to break down the gluten molecule. This most likely wouldn’t serve as a substitute for the gluten-free diet, but it would help your child deal with the cross-contamination problem. For the time being, though, you can ensure your child’s diet is truly gluten-free by following these tips.
Tina Turbin
From our home to yours, Tina Turbin.
A great post, thank you!
Wonderful. I recommend other readers check out Tina’s blog on the importance of homecooking to avoid cross-contamination on her other blog, http://dannythedragon.com/blog. It can take some time to get used to avoiding gluten, but eventually it becomes second-nature.
Yikes so many hidden sources with kids! I’m lucky my kids aren’t celiac (just me). I hope they come up with some msuper powerful gluten digesting enzymes soon!
Home cooking is really the safest and the best. Plus teach them about what’s gluten free and what isn’t and there’s also a great iPhone app for your older kids to use.
Make sure they always have a list of foods they can/can’t eat once they are mature enough to read!
I really appreciate all your excellent advice for parents of celiac kids. It’s a tough job raising a celiac child and it’s so nice to get much-needed advice!