How Many Of You/your Children Were Preemies?

[skipper30]

I was wondering how many here either were premature or have children who were born premature.

If so...were there any other complications at birth that you think may have "triggered" the Celiac??

Our son was a preemie...3 weeks early and he was born with deuodenal atresia(which means that his intestines never opened in utero.) We took him home from the hospital and on day 5 he was flown to St. Louis for surgery to "bypass" the blockage. They had to take out his entire intestines and look by hand for any other blockages. This is what I think triggered his. It took us another 2 1/2 years to get someone to listen to me that things still just weren't right.

What about you??

[VydorScope]

My wafe does not (yet?) have celiac disease, but our son (born with active celiac disease) was late, and they had to induce my wife. My wife was very premature, several months actually.

[Michi8]

I was about a month premature, due to preeclampsia.

All three of my kids were "past due," a good weight, and had malpresentations (#1 breech - 8lbs 6oz, #2 asynclitic - 9lbs 8oz, #3 compound presentation - 9lbs 12oz.) They all have different builds & health issues too, and all are clearly allergic children. They were all breastfed for about 2 years each, and all spat up a lot (projectile) and had troubles with gas as babies.

Michelle

[ravenwoodglass]

I was a bit premature most likely because I was a twin. Both of my children were very late, one almost 6 weeks late and I had to be induced. He came out looking like he had been soaking in water for a week or so all pruney. He was 7 lbs and peeled like he had a sunburn from head to toe the first month. The other was one month late and 10 lbs. Both of my children are celiac the boy I believe became celiac when he had menigitis at about a month of age and they had to do multiple spinal taps. My DD started to show symptoms after I had gotten very, very ill and she was under a great amount of stress.

[CarlaB]

All my kids were late, except one who was born on her due date, and one who was induced on her due date (I keep temperature charts, so they were sure the due date was correct, and she was 9lb 9oz, so they wanted to get her out!). The other three were all late.

For those who know we have six, the other is adopted.

I have had problems off and on with my health for years, so I know I had gluten intolerance back when I was having babies.

[AndreaB]

I was born 8 weeks early. No health problems that I know of. Had problems with eyes and ears.

My children were born on time. #1 was breech so a c-section 4-6 days early 7 lbs 15 oz., and the other two were sections also, #2 8 days early 8 lbs 10 oz. and #3 4 days early 8 lbs 6 oz. They all were healthy but my daughter was the sickest of them (although my youngest is only 9 months old). Myself and my two oldest have active gluten intolerance per enterolab. Haven't had the baby tested yet but he was crabby the whole week I had him on oatmeal.

[whitball]

my oldest child was two weeks late. My middle (daughter) was one week early. She was diagnosed with failure to thrive at 13 months and had problems with ear infections until she was 10. She had 2 surgeries for tubes in her ears. Yet, her doctor refuses to test her. my youngest was born 6 weeks early. All were c-sections, and I was diabetic with each pregancy. All have allergies, asthma, etc. Yet noone wants to work hard to run a simple blood test for an intial screen for them.

[hannahsue01]

My first girl was born at 6lbs 7oz 21" a week late. My second duaghter was born at 2lbs 9oz 13" 3 months early due to a placental abrubtion. I did not know of this disease before I had either of my girls. I believe I have had it since somtime during child hood. Looking back now I was really hungry during my first pregnancy and felt like I was starving and couldn't eat enough with my second. I have since had one miscaraige. My dad's side of the family has a large number of people with diagnosed celiac disease. From what I know of my family has had a number of low wieght babies...premature births....still births or blue births...and miscarages all on my dad's side of the family. My understanding is that celiac disease can cause allot of problems with carrying a baby as well as triggering the disease itself.

[Canadian Karen]

My oldest daughter was 2 days late, weighing 7 lb. 7 oz.

My second daughter was 2 days late, weighing 6 lb. 5 oz.

My twin boys were 9 weeks early (born at 31 weeks gestation). They both weighed 3 lb. 12 oz. Daniel broke his water, deciding to come early because Connor kept on kicking him in the head!

The only child exhibiting possible symptoms of celiac is my second daughter, although her bloodwork came back negative (which we all know doesn't really mean that much.......)

Karen

[2Boys4Me]

I was three weeks early (2nd born of twins - twins are often premature). I do not have celiac (yet?).

My older son was 9 days late, 8lbs 2oz 21" - he's not celiac (yet?).

My celiac son is my younger son. He was 5 days early, 7lbs 2oz 21". He would probably have weighed a bit more, but I was on a gestational diabetes diet for about six weeks before they did some more tests, decided it had been a false positive and I should go back to eating "normally".

I'd say they were both "textbook" pregnancies and births...both boys arrived within 90 minutes of the doctor breaking my water to get things moving. No drugs AT ALL for Ty (not really my choice...but whatever) and he was healthy, no concerns at all, no obvious triggers but he was falling asleep at the supper table during his kindergarten year at school. Anemia is/was his symptom.

[skipper30]

Thanks to everyone who has posted...I was just curious, and wondering if being early could have anything to do with having active celiac or not.....our last baby boy was 6 weeks early and just the "normal" problems associated with being early. Thanks for sharing your stories!! I enjoy hearing how other got to this point too!!

[snowygiraffe]

My daughter was induced 6 weeks early because I went from 110lbs at conception down to 95 at her birth. She weighed 4lbs 11oz but was 21" long(I gave birth to a worm!) She was an unhappy and sickly baby and child until she was diagnosed with celiac at 8. (now 13)

My son was born on time at 6lbs 11oz 21"long. But ended up back in the hospital for over a week with a 104 fever at 3 days old. Always had an apitite. He has had many delays(crawl @ 15 months, walked @ 27 months, first sign(ASL) @ 29 months of course it was eat, first word @ 3 years Ba=Bear)He has caut up significintly but has problems with social issues and struggles to make friends(part of it is kids see him as that weird kid that talks to himself) He has never been tested for celiac because "its so rare that there is NO WAY you could have two children with it" He has started complaining of stomach aches over the summer along with constently bieng sick, I'm trying to have him tested but have to go through all the other tests first.

[jennyj]

I was born about 6 weeks early and had some heart problems. I have a son who was listed as a preemie because he was 22 days early but get this, weighed 10-4. I was not dx with celiac until this year.

[wonkabar]

  skipper30 said:

Thanks to everyone who has posted...I was just curious, and wondering if being early could have anything to do with having active celiac or not.....our last baby boy was 6 weeks early and just the "normal" problems associated with being early. Thanks for sharing your stories!! I enjoy hearing how other got to this point too!!

Both of my kids were preemies and delivered via emergency c-sections. Medically, you are considered to be full-term at 37 weeks. My son, who is almost 3 1/2 was a full 8 weeks premature. My daughter, who is now 20 months, was 5 weeks preemature. I went into pre-term labor with both pregnancies. With Zachary I was approx 50% effaced at 27 weeks...yikes!! And, with Allison I was having "real and regular" contractions and was 1 cm dialated at 34 weeks. I'm probably one of the few women walking on the face of the earth who would've given my left arm to stay pregnant!! Although I seem to be asymptomatic, I am having a Celiac "super panel" drawn tomorrow morning because I'm also curious about the connections to Celiac and difficult pregnancies. (I also had a miscarriage inbetween my pregnancies with Zachary and Allison.)Zachary was 4 lbs and Allison was 5 lbs 14 oz. They come out early but big. Both of my kids looked like little Sumo wrestlers in their isolettes when they were swaddled.

Zachary is my child who has problems with gluten. Fortunately, Allison does not have any problems thus far. I've posted about preemies and Celiac/gluten intolerance myself because I'm also quite curious as to what the statistics are regarding preemies and issues with gluten. I would certainly think that the stress of coming into this world 8 weeks prematurely and spending the next 4 weeks in the NICU would be enough to trigger this type of auto-immune response. In addition to a gluten intolerance (see my sig.), Zachary is also allergic to peanuts, egg whites, tomatoes. He also has seasonal allergies, eczema and asthma. All of these additional "issues" seem to be consistent with someone who has problems with gluten.

[schuyler]

I was born one day late, weighing 8 lbs 13 oz, and I was 22.5 inches long.

Nicolas and Matthew were born right around their due dates, and were both 7 1/2 lbs and 21 inches.

Sean was born at 26 weeks, and was 1 lb and 11.5 inches long. He has encountered many problems in his short 2 yrs on earth, but he is a miracle baby and is just like many other 2 yr olds (except for his verbal skills, which are slowly catching up). Drs said that he would be a vegetable or severely disabled and that he would never walk or talk, and yet he has been walking since Jan. and he said his first words in June. In some recent testing, he tested in the above average zone in all areas except for verbal skills (he communicates through ASL most of the time). He has also suffered from digestive and reflux problems since birth. I am not sure exactly when his celiac started, since all of the problems that he has had can be attributed to being a preemie ( and none of them have improved much since going gluten-free).

Reading all the other stories is really interesting.

[Snap]

My youngest was born almost six weeks early due to prom.

Is there a connection?

[hannahsue01]

  Snap said:

My youngest was born almost six weeks early due to prom.

Is there a connection?

What is prom?

[Snap]

  hannahsue01 said:

What is prom?

Premature rupture of membranes

[hannahsue01]

  Snap said:

Premature rupture of membranes

Oh ok...that makes sense. I don't know if prom is exactly related but I don't see why it would not be a possibility. Premature birth is not uncomen in celiacs. My baby was born 3 months early due to placental abrubtion. I am told that the babies aren't getting enough nutriants to support there survival any longer because we are not absorbing enough of them......therefor they are born or in some cases even die in utero (that usually happens when the doc doesn't listen to mom saying the babies not moving). We are choosing to take all the precautions to not become pregnant untill I am on a gluten free diet for quit some time to prevent this from happening again. Celiac runs in our family and we have had preemies and blue babies.

[Katie O'Rourke]

My dad was born premature and was very sickly - they thought he woudlnt make it at the time, and has never had a strong immune system since, and finally diagnosed coeliac age 30-ish after kept having "flu" several times a month. I on the other hand am the eldest of his three daughters and was born 15 days late - yes thats over 2 weeks - the most late of the three of us and i am the only one so far to be coeliac.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I was full-term.

My first (4 1/2 pounds) was induced 3 weeks early because I had pre-eclampsia that was progressing quickly; I also had hyperemesis, and left the hospital after he was born 10 pounds under my starting weight.

My second (8 1/2 pounds) was 2 weeks late; I also had hyperemesis with him, but took meds and managed to gain 12 pounds. He is the one most likely to have gluten problems--we'll get him tested this fall.

My third (7 1/2 pounds) was also 2 weeks late; same deal as #2--I took meds for the hyperemesis and gained 12 pounds.

[skipper30]

Please hear me say that I have no idea if being a preemie is related to Celiac...I would think that is isn't necessarily if you read some of the previous posts. I was just wondering...because our Celiac was born a little early and had a life threatening condition...we should have lost him WAY before birth and his condition is considered a "mid-line" problem and connected to Downs. He turned out fine. I was just wondering though if the "trauma" of being born early and needing extra help or growing time would be enough to trigger a babies immune system with Celiac? I am convinced that our 2nd sons problem was fixed and yet aggravated by his surgery after birth.

Our last baby decided there was too much fun stuff going on out here and decided to come at 34 weeks. I am concerned about him having celiac but will not have him tested yet. He is just 7 months. But the other two (we have 4 boys) were a little early and induced on due date for low fluid levels...who knows...it is amazing what we really do not know aobut this sometimes quiet disease.

[Michi8]

  Snap said:

My youngest was born almost six weeks early due to prom.

Is there a connection?

There could be. I remember reading that vitamin C intake helps strengthen the amniotic sac. If that is the case, then it stands to reason that malabsorption of vitamins and minerals (such as with celiac disease) may make the sac more susceptible to prom.

Michelle

  skipper30 said:

Please hear me say that I have no idea if being a preemie is related to Celiac...I would think that is isn't necessarily if you read some of the previous posts. I was just wondering...because our Celiac was born a little early and had a life threatening condition...we should have lost him WAY before birth and his condition is considered a "mid-line" problem and connected to Downs. He turned out fine. I was just wondering though if the "trauma" of being born early and needing extra help or growing time would be enough to trigger a babies immune system with Celiac? I am convinced that our 2nd sons problem was fixed and yet aggravated by his surgery after birth.

Our last baby decided there was too much fun stuff going on out here and decided to come at 34 weeks. I am concerned about him having celiac but will not have him tested yet. He is just 7 months. But the other two (we have 4 boys) were a little early and induced on due date for low fluid levels...who knows...it is amazing what we really do not know aobut this sometimes quiet disease.

Given that celiac tendency is hereditary, and it is suspected that there is a trigger for celiac becoming active, I'd guess that early trauma could very well be that trigger. Personally, I also suspect that feeding a premature baby foods other than breastmilk, and giving (necessary) antibiotics for infection may also be considered trauma to the GI tract.

Michelle

[skipper30]

WOW...I hadn't thought about the antibiotic thing before...but it would stand to reason that it could cause a problem!! AND the fact they they "fortify" your breastmilk in the NICU...or at least they did with ours to help with caloric intake.....hummmm...hadn't thought of that one until just now!

[Michi8]

  skipper30 said:

WOW...I hadn't thought about the antibiotic thing before...but it would stand to reason that it could cause a problem!! AND the fact they they "fortify" your breastmilk in the NICU...or at least they did with ours to help with caloric intake.....hummmm...hadn't thought of that one until just now!

If you consider even a full-term infant has to develop GI flora, giving the wrong foods or antibotics upsets the normal development of that flora...a premature infant has even more work to develop a healthy system. And colostrum is an important first food to help develop the GI tract while providing a huge boost to develop an infant's immune system.

Michelle