The Long-term Effect of Treatment on Growth and Bone Density in Children with Celiac Disease

Introduction: Celiac disease is a chronic enteropathy caused by permanent intolerance to gluten and similar proteins found in wheat, barley and rye. Osteopenia is a frequent complication of celiac disease (CD), we evaluated the impact of gluten-free diet (GFD) on growth and bone density.

Material and Methods: Sixty-eight patients with CD were included. They were divided into two subgroups according to their dietary compliance based on the latest celiac disease serology. Growth and vitamin D levels was followed up in the two groups. Bone mineral density (BMD) values of the patients were also determined.

Results: Short stature was associated to positive celiac disease serology and compliance to GFD in 35,1% cases. The relationship between BMD and compliance to GFD was found to be statistically significant (P=0.001). The vitamin D deficiency was more common in the group of children who aren’t on the gluten-free diet.

Conclusions: This study shows that growth, vitamin D levels, and bone mineral density improve significantly with a GFD.