Coeliac kids are at risk even if gluten free
5th December 2016
By Hugo Wilcken
GLUTEN-FREE children with coeliac disease may be at significantly more risk of serious intestinal abnormalities than previous studies have suggested.
Nearly one in five paediatric coeliac patients have high-grade enteropathy at least a year after going gluten-free, research from the US Harvard School of Medicine shows.
The study looked at 103 coeliac patients (ages 5-15) who had a repeat biopsy at least a year after starting a gluten-free diet.
Not only did 19% have serious enteropathy (Marsh 3 histology), but serological testing did not reliably pick this up. Nor did the presence or