Awareness of Coeliac Disease and the Gluten Free Diet

A major goal of The Coeliac Society is to increase awareness of all facets of coeliac disease.

Coeliac Awareness Week (13-20 March) is a time when the society instigates publicity, events, and programmes which will generate more awareness regarding coeliac disease and the gluten free diet. We target those within and connected to the medical and dietary professions, the food and hospitality industry and the general public.

Raising awareness is a year round project for The Coeliac Society, although a concentrated effort is undertaken during Coeliac Awareness Week.

The Coeliac Research Fund (CRF) and The Coeliac Society have combined forces for a joint Coeliac Awareness Campaign this year.

MEDIA RELEASE

Coeliac Awareness Week, 13-20 March 2010
‘Is your child out of sorts?’

At least 1 in 100 children suffer from coeliac disease - but four out of five are not diagnosed

The public campaign for Coeliac Awareness Week 2010 aims to improve the low medical diagnosis rates of coeliac disease in children in Australia.

Called ‘Is your child out of sorts?’, the campaign highlights the very high prevalence of coeliac disease in children today and explains the serious long term health risks if it remains untreated.  It also urges parents of children who are not thriving and/or who have typical coeliac symptoms to ask their GP for a coeliac test without delay.

Associate Professor Don Cameron, Head of Paediatric Gastroenterology at Monash Children’s at Southern Health and a senior gastroenterologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, said that In Australia, coeliac disease affects at least one in 100 children. 

“Sadly, four out of five children with the disease are not diagnosed.  In fact, most people with coeliac disease are not diagnosed until they are adults, if they are diagnosed at all.  This is why it is often called ‘the hidden epidemic’”, he said.

“But we urgently need to raise public awareness about coeliac disease and improve childhood diagnosis rates because this is a serious condition which can be extremely detrimental over time if it is not treated properly,” he said.

“For example, untreated coeliac disease can result in poor growth and general progress and severe complications later on in life such as early onset osteoporosis, liver disease, infertility and cancer.”

Associate Professor Cameron said that coeliac disease typically starts in childhood between the ages of four and seven years old, although symptoms can present at any age, even in adulthood. 

“Unfortunately, even though coeliac disease is much more common than other well known childhood illnesses , most people have still never heard of it. “ he said.  “For example, coeliac disease in children is nearly twice as prevalent as Type 1 juvenile diabetes1 and 25 times more common than cystic fibrosis.2   But despite this widespread prevalence, it still remains one of the most under diagnosed conditions of our time. “

He urged parents to ask their GP for a coeliac test immediately if their child has any symptoms that could be due to coeliac disease.  These symptoms include unexplained bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation, tiredness or lack of stamina, anaemia, failure to thrive or difficulty in concentrating. 

“Sometimes, children with coeliac disease don’t have any of these symptoms at all and just seem ‘out of sorts’ generally.  In such cases, parents should still ask their GP for a coeliac test,” he said.

“It’s very important for parents to understand that children will not just ‘grow out of’ coeliac disease.  This is a permanent condition which needs proper medical diagnosis and ongoing treatment.”

He said that testing for coeliac disease is very simple.  “Initially, it involves a straightforward blood test.  If the results are positive, or if your doctor suspects coeliac disease, he or she will arrange for a simple biopsy of the small intestine. 

“If the biopsy is conclusive, treatment is very simple.  By following a strict gluten free diet under medical supervision, most children should lead a healthy, pain free, active life again in a very short time frame with minimal risk of longer term health complications. 

“Most importantly though, we encourage parents not to diagnose their children themselves and not to eliminate gluten from their diet without medical advice.  Coeliac disease is a serious condition and parents need to learn how to manage their children’s diet properly under qualified medical supervision.”

Because coeliac disease is hereditary and runs in families, people who have a relative with coeliac disease are urged to have their children and themselves tested as well.