Pediatric Celiac Disease

Discovering celiac disease at an early stage can be essential for a child’s health.

Celiac disease is when the small intestine is inflamed, caused by eating cereals containing gluten. This may result in less nutrient absorption, with physical symptoms that can cause problems in everyday life. When a child does not absorb nutrients properly, it might later in life lead to a number of health problems, including impaired bone health, but also to symptoms such as depression and infertility. Children with other autoimmune diseases and children with chromosomal aberrations are at increased risk of suffering from silent celiac disease. Therefore, screening for celiac disease in these children is important.

The condition is common and often goes undetected. In many parts of the world, this disease is not even recognized. Some 2-3% of Swedish children develop celiac disease during childhood, and Karolinska diagnoses approximately 200 new patients yearly.

In many cases, patients live with celiac disease without understanding it, since the symptoms are vague.

The condition may cause obvious symptoms such as diarrhea, swollen belly, stomach pain, fatigue and depression, joint pain, weight loss, sores in the mouth, nausea, and skin blisters.

In half of the cases, the diagnosis can be safely established with the help of blood samples, including high levels of transglutaminase antibodies. In the other half, where the antibody levels are only slightly increased, the diagnosis is made through endoscopy with tissue samples of the upper intestine.

The treatment includes a strict gluten-free diet, meaning that the patient must avoid gluten-containing cereals such as rye, barley, and wheat. Our department of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition is only responsible for diagnosis and initiation of dietary treatment. Once the diagnosis is established, and treatment with a life-long strict gluten-free diet is started, outpatient care takes over the patient follow-up.

Center

Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital

The Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital is a part of Karolinska University Hospital, with facilities in several locations in Stockholm.