Celiac disease

Celijakija je doživotna gastroenterološka bolest o kojoj se u posljednje vrijeme sve češće i sve više govori, no i dalje nedovoljno. Nekoć ju se smatralo isključivo dječjom bolesti, no s napretkom medicine i dijagnostičkih testova, uočilo se kako i odrasli vrlo često obolijevaju. Bolest nastaje zbog unosa glutena u organizam, a može se manifestirati na različite načine. U dječjoj dobi bolest se vrlo često manifestira do druge godine djetetova života kroz probavne simptome, no prisutni su i ekstraintestinalni simptomi poput niskog rasta i zakašnjelog puberteta. Trenutno je jedini način liječenja ove bolesti strogo i doživotno pridržavanje bezglutenske dijete. Kako bi se dobio bolji uvid u specifičnosti koje celijakija sa sobom nosi u dječjoj dobi, u radu se nastojalo prikazati sve važne dijelove djetetova suživota s ovom bolešću, od pojave simptoma i postavljanja dijagnoze do liječenja i prilagodbe na nužne promjene. Osim utjecaja bolesti na djecu, cilj rada je bio prikazati i utjecaj bolesti na roditelje oboljele djece. Također se osvrnulo na stanje u vrtićima, na odnos odgojitelja prema oboljeloj djeci i njihove napore u osmišljavanju i provedbi raznih aktivnosti te na odnos druge djece prema oboljelima. Zanimljivim se pokazalo kako se djeca vrtićke dobi puno bolje nose sa bolesti i s prilagodbom na prehranu nego starija djeca ili odrasli. Jedan od razloga je značajan utjecaj roditelja na dijete u tim godinama te roditeljski napor da djetetu osigura i pruži potreban osjećaj sigurnosti te mu pomogne u razvijanju samopouzdanja i samosvijesti. I sami roditelji često se teško nose s novonastalom situacijom i promjenama, stoga bi trebalo poticati edukacije i radionice na kojima će roditelj dobiti više informacija o ovoj bolesti i liječenju. S druge strane edukacija je poželjna i u vrtićima za odgojitelje koji rade s oboljelom djecom, kao i za ostalu djecu koja bi kroz njih učila o različitosti i ravnopravnosti.Celiac disease is a lifelong gastroenterological disease that has been talked about more and more lately, but still not enought. In past it used to be considered exclusively a childhood disease, but with the advancement of medicine and diagnostic tests, it has been noticed that adults also often get sick. The disease occurs due to the intake of gluten and can manifest in various ways. In childhood, disease often manifests until the second year of life through digestive symptoms, but there are also extraintestinal symptoms such as short stature or delayed puberty. Currently the only way to treat this disease is strict and lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet. In order to gain a better insight into the specifics of celiac disease in childhood, the paper sought to present all important parts of a child's coexistence with this disease, from the onset of symptoms and diagnosis to treatment and adaptation to necessary changes. The paper also aims to show the impact of the disease on parents and kindergarten educators who invest a lot of effort in the design and implementation of various activities in which all children can participate equally. It turned out to be interesting that younger children cope much better with illness and with adjustment to diet than older ones or adults. One of the reasons is the significant influence of parents on the child at that age. Parental effort provides child with the necessary sense of security and helps them develop self-confidence and self-awareness. Parents themselves often find it difficult to cope with the new situation and changes, so education and workshops about celiac disease should be encouraged. Such educations can provide parents with the necessary information and help them adjust. On the other hand, education is also desirable in kindergartens for teachers who work with sick children, as well as for other children who would learn about diversity and equality through them