Assessment of sexual maturity in a cohort of adolescents with celiac disease on gluten-free diet.
Delayed sexual maturation is a known complication of celiac disease (CD). There is paucity of data regarding the effect of gluten-free diet (GFD) on sexual maturity in patients with CD in India. We did a cross-sectional observational study to assess the sexual maturity in 30 adolescents with CD on GFD for at least 1 year, and evaluated factors which affect their sexual maturity. Sexual maturation was assessed using Tanner's stages of sexual development. All adolescents had completed 2 years of GFD and 53 % had completed 4 years of GFD. Sexual maturation was delayed in 30 %. Age at initiation of GFD was associated with attaining appropriate sexual maturity (p = 0.048). We conclude that delayed sexual maturation is not uncommon in adolescents with CD and may be corrected by early diagnosis and initiation of GFD.
Department Pediatrics, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, New Delhi 110 001, India. kirtisen@gmail.com
Kirtisudha
K
Mishra
Praveen
P
Kumar
Rajesh
R
Kumar
Sharandeep
S
Kaur
Srikanta
S
Basu
Ashok Kumar
AK
Dutta
D000293:Adolescent; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055050:Diet, Gluten-Free; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*