When Thompson was 5 years of age, he began to complain that his stomach hurt, especially after eating meals and snacks. He also experienced chronic diarrhea. His parents noticed that he could eat poultry, meat, dairy foods, fruits, and vegetables without developing any intestinal problems, but he would get a "tummy ache" soon after eating sandwiches, cookies, crackers, or pancakes. Based on this information, Thompson's parents should have him evaluated for .

celiac disease

Explanation:

Celiac disease is An autoimmune disease characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation and varying degrees of intestinal mucosal atrophy with associated malabsorption.

It can also be an antigen driven enteropathy of the small intestine, resulting from an inappropriate immune response to dietary gliadin, a component of wheat proteins.

Celiac disease can manifest in the following ways;

Diarrhea / Steatorrhea - increased osmotic load, bile malabsorption in ileum, poor motility, colon bacterial action

-Flatulence

-Weight loss

-Distension, cramping

The associated symptoms of celiac disease was what Thompson was experiencing, in that case He should be evaluated for same.