<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

 

Hello.  This is my first post to this group and I'm hoping since it is such
a large group, I might get some good feedback on this question.   Here is my
question, (with additional comments underneath).

 

Have any of you had children with birth defects, no matter how minute,
before you were diagnosed with Celiac and on a gluten free diet?

 

I am pregnant with my 8th child.  We have had 4 healthy children and 3 with
major birth defects.  We had two sons die shortly after birth.  One was born
with anencephaly (neural tube defect) and one was born with a diaphragmatic
hernia.  We also have a 4 1/2 year old daughter with heterotaxy and
congenital heart defects.  

 

When asking doctors, through the years, (even some doctors that do
chromosome studies), what could be the connection, we've always been told
that there is no connection between the three problems and that they didn't
know what would have caused that variety of problems.  We were told that it
would be a waste of time to do genetic counseling because these weren't 
genetic disorders (as a group).

 

We've often wondered what might be the cause, yet have graciously accepted
God's gifts to us in the children that He created fearfully and wonderfully
(Psalm 139: 13-18)  Every one of our children has been used in wonderful
ways to bless our lives, I in no way want to come across as somebody that
lives in fear or regret over our circumstances...if that were the case, we
would have quit having children long before now.  : )  However, because of
my nature (personality), I always like to research things until I know all
that I can know, some things are just too interesting to me.   

 

I was diagnosed about 8 months ago as having gluten intolerance (through
Enterolab).  I've done research on vitamin deficiencies related to Celiac
and also related to birth defects.  I'm started to see some interesting
connections and have become even more curious.

 

Under my signature is some information that I copied from a couple of
different web pages.  If you are interested, go ahead and take a look,
otherwise, if you would like to just give me some feedback on my question, I
would sure appreciate it.  I am certainly curious and would appreciate your
time if you have anything you would like to say.

Have a great day.

 

Joyfully Serving Jesus~

Lynnette (Wife to Kyle and Mama to Jared 12, Abigail 9, Cecily 6, Anna 4,
Silas1, Samuel 7/1-7/14/1992, Josiah 1/15-1/20/1995 and Baby # 8 due Aug.
22nd)

 

"The presentation of CD is very serious (in spite of no intestinal symptoms)
because many nutrients are absorbed in this area of the digestive system.
Vitamin B1 and B12 (numbness in extremities), Iron (anemia), Folic Acid
(birth defects), Calcium and Vitamin D (bones and muscles), Vitamin E
(nerves), Vitamin A (eyes) and Vitamin K (blood clotting) may be malabsorbed
 That is, the nutrients from food and supplements are not absorbed properly.
"

 

Referring to Folic Acid Deficiency:

"*Because folate enzymes help create neuron structures (eg: myelin), and
highly mitotic fetal cells depend on maternal folate to support the specific
timing of proliferative bursts during gestation, a wide range of negative
pregnancy outcomes can result when a deficiency occurs.  The type of
negative outcome depends upon which structures were being formed when folate
enzymes became exhausted (Antony AC, 2000).  Folic acid deficiency is basic
to a wide range of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, particularly
devastating structural anomalies of the brain and spinal cord (neural tube
birth defects - NTD's: spina bifida -a failure of the spine to close;
anencephaly -absence of or part of the brain; and encephalocele -a hole in
the skull through which brain tissue protrudes).   Its role as the major
cause of NTD's has been confirmed (Oakley GP Jr, 1996, Molloy AM, 1999).  
Because many drugs interfere with folate metabolism, most are ill-advised
during pregnancy.  Besides NTD's, other conditions such as still birth,
spontaneous abortion, premature delivery, low birth weight, preeclamsia,
placenta abruption, hydrocephalus, club foot, cleft palate, Down's Syndrome,
mental retardation, and heart defects, have been attributed to a deficiency
as well (Mills J, 1999, James SJ, 1999,  Nelen WL, 1998).   "

 

 

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