Could gluten be affecting my child?
Celiac disease is often missed in Pakistan because its signs — poor growth, low blood (anaemia), tummy pain, irritability — are blamed on other things. This centre explains the symptoms, how testing works, and exactly what a gluten-free kitchen looks like with our everyday Pakistani foods.
Signs parents commonly notice
Tummy signs
Ongoing loose motions or constipation, bloated tummy, pain after meals, vomiting in younger children, foul-smelling stools.
Growth signs
Weight not increasing, height falling behind classmates, delayed puberty. Track this on our Child Growth Centre.
Hidden signs
Iron-deficiency anaemia that keeps returning, constant tiredness, irritability, mouth ulcers, itchy skin rash, weak tooth enamel.
Some children have almost no tummy symptoms at all — anaemia or short stature alone can be the only clue. Children with type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease or a family member with celiac have a higher chance and benefit from screening discussion.
Understanding celiac testing (in plain words)
Screening blood test
The usual first test is tTG-IgA along with total IgA. It looks for the immune reaction celiac causes. Your doctor orders and interprets it.
Confirmation
If screening is positive, a paediatric gastroenterologist confirms the diagnosis — often with a small-intestine biopsy, sometimes with further blood tests per current guidelines.
Only then, go gluten-free
The gluten-free diet is the treatment — strict and lifelong — but it should start after diagnosis, so results are accurate and your child is not restricted unnecessarily.
Pakistani kitchen: gluten-free food checker
Search any everyday food or filter by category. SAFE = naturally gluten-free · AVOID = contains gluten · CHECK = depends on brand, mill or preparation.
Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is saved or sent anywhere. General guidance only: always read labels, and in Pakistan prefer packaged, sealed flours — open-bin flours and shared chakki mills that also grind wheat can contaminate naturally gluten-free grains like besan, makki and bajra.
Nutrition after diagnosis
Rebuild what was lost
Because celiac damages the gut lining, children are often low in iron, vitamin D, calcium, B12, folate and zinc. Your doctor can check levels and guide supplements while the gut heals on a strict gluten-free diet.
A safe family kitchen
Store gluten-free atta separately in sealed containers, use a clean or dedicated tawa and chhanni (sieve), and watch shared ghee/butter pots and fryers. Small crumbs matter in celiac.
Watch growth recover
On a strict gluten-free diet, appetite, energy and growth usually improve within months. Recheck height and weight regularly — our growth percentile tools make it easy to track.
Complementary homeopathic care
The strict gluten-free diet is and remains the treatment for celiac disease. At our clinic, classical homeopathic consultation is offered alongside it as individualised supportive care — celiac disease is one of Dr. Shoaib Sabir's core clinical interests.
See a doctor promptly if
Parents often ask
Is celiac disease common in Pakistan?
Yes — it is more common than most families realise, and because wheat roti is our staple, symptoms show up early but are often mistaken for weakness, worms or simple malnutrition. Awareness is the biggest step.
Is celiac the same as wheat allergy or gluten sensitivity?
No. Celiac is an autoimmune condition confirmed by testing; wheat allergy is an allergic reaction; non-celiac gluten sensitivity has similar symptoms but negative tests. The plan differs, which is why proper testing before dieting matters.
Can my child eat a little roti on special occasions?
No. In celiac disease even small, occasional amounts of gluten keep damaging the intestine — even without obvious symptoms. The diet works only when it is strict and lifelong.
What can replace roti at home?
Rice, and rotis made from certified gluten-free flours — makki (corn), bajra (millet), jowar (sorghum), chawal ka atta (rice flour) or besan cheela. Buy packaged, sealed flour rather than open-bin or shared-mill flour to avoid contamination.
Does homeopathy cure celiac disease?
No system of medicine currently cures celiac disease — the strict gluten-free diet is the established treatment. Homeopathic care at our clinic is complementary, individualised support offered alongside your child's medical care and dietary management.
Worried about celiac or your child's nutrition?
Discuss your child's symptoms, reports and gluten-free plan. In-clinic (Gojra, Lahore, Rawalpindi) and online worldwide.
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Individualised homeopathic care that works alongside your medical treatment, never instead of it. Available in person at the clinics below and online worldwide, timezone-adjusted.
Our clinics
Online — worldwide, timezone-adjusted. Tap a city for timings, map and off-days.
How booking works
- Share an initial case history on WhatsApp.
- The consultation fee (from PKR 2,000 in Pakistan) and any medicine cost are then confirmed on WhatsApp — they are not fixed in advance.
- Choose a slot on the booking page; you will see the time in Pakistan time and in your local time.
Medicine is dispensed in Pakistan and delivered anywhere inside Pakistan to a person you nominate, who can carry it to you abroad. It is not couriered internationally.