Bone mineral density and growth in children with coeliac disease on a gluten free-diet.

Background/aim: To evaluate changes in growth and bone metabolism during consumption of a gluten-free diet (GFD) in children with coeliac disease (CD).

Materials And Methods: Thirty-seven children with CD (mean age of 8.8 ± 4.6 years, 21 girls) were enrolled. Anthropometric measurements, bone mineral density (BMD) in lumbar 2-4 vertebrae, and serum alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus levels at diagnosis and at follow-up were recorded.

Results: The mean follow-up period was 3.5 ± 2.3 years. The BMD of patients was significantly lower than that of control subjects at the time of diagnosis but not after 1 year of the GFD. Incidence of low BMD with respect to z-scores for chronological age (CA) was significantly higher than z-scores for height age (HA) (P = 0.006). At the first year of GFD, BMD, BMD z-score, height-for-age z-scores, and weight-for-age z-scores were significantly increased compared with the baseline, but not after 1 year of the GFD.

Conclusion: In CD, the first year of GFD is important in weight gain, linear growth, and improvement of BMD. A considerable relation of low BMD in children with CD, with respect to z-scores for CA, may be a result of misinterpretation of low BMD due to short stature.