Prevalence of Undiagnosed Celiac Disease in the Parents of Preterm and/or Small for Gestational Age Infants

Silvia Salvatore
Sergio Finazzi
Giovanni Radaelli
Milvia Lotzniker
Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti
and Premacel Study Group
Biasucci G

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Publication date

January 2007

DOI

10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00958.x

Publisher

Wiley

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed celiac disease (CD) in the parents of preterm and/or small for gestational age (SGA) infants. METHODS: A sample of 1,714 parents (868 women, 846 men) of 905 preterm (<37 wk of gestational age) and/or SGA (<10th percentile of birthweight) infants consecutively born in Lombardy, Northern Italy, and not diagnosed with CD prior to pregnancy, were tested for CD. Diagnosis was based on antitissue transglutaminase and anti-endomysial antibodies and confirmed by duodenal biopsy. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of undiagnosed CD was 0.64% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32–1.15%), 0.92% (0.40–1.81%) in women and 0.35% (0.07–1.03%) in men. In the mothers of preterm...