[Living with celiac disease].

Celiac disease (CD) is caused by ingestion of gluten-containing foods by gluten-sensitive individuals. The gluten causes malabsorption by damaging their intestinal mucosa. Adherence to a gluten-free diet is not simple, because the composition of foods stocked on store shelves is often not known, Patients with CD, particularly when adolescent, often refuse to comply with the diet; and parents are occasionally unable, or unwilling, to prepare gluten-free food. Furthermore, school teachers are usually ignorant of the specific dietary requirements of these patients. We examined physical, scholastic, and social aspects of CD patients in comparison with their siblings in the same age groups (10-18 years) to determine whether CD and the need to keep a diet influence these parameters. 25 CD patients and 14 of their siblings were interviewed at home where they filled a questionnaire. The mean adherence to a gluten-free diet was 96.6%; the heights of the patients were comparable to those of their siblings. We did not find significant differences in scholastic achievement and social adjustment between patients and siblings. It appears that children and adolescents with CD can live with their disease and keep a gluten-free diet while performing satisfactorily in school. However, some complained of difficulties, such as feeling uneasy at social gatherings, wanting to discuss their disability with friends, and feeling unhappy. Some were angry at society for pitying them and considering them as having a disease, while the patients considered themselves as having a food sensitivity.