Growth and Pubertal Timing in Boys With Adult-diagnosed Celiac Disease: A Population-based Longitudinal Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology
• Public Health Research

Background:

• Limited longitudinal data exist regarding the effects of adult-diagnosed celiac disease (CD) on childhood growth and pubertal development.
• Understanding these effects is crucial for monitoring growth trajectories in individuals diagnosed with CD later in life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between adult-diagnosed celiac disease (CD) and longitudinal growth patterns in boys during childhood and adolescence.
• To examine the impact of adult-diagnosed CD on the timing of pubertal development.

Main Methods:

• Utilized school healthcare records and national registers to obtain serial growth measurements for 37,672 Swedish boys born between 1945 and 1961.
• Identified 72 boys (0.2%) who were clinically diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) in adulthood.
• Compared mean body mass index (BMI) and height at ages 8 and 20-21 years, as well as pubertal growth development and spurt timing, between boys with and without adult-diagnosed CD.

Main Results:

• No significant mean differences in childhood BMI (age 8) or adult BMI (ages 20-21) were observed between boys with and without adult-diagnosed CD.
• Similarly, no appreciable differences in childhood height (age 8) or adult height (ages 20-21) were found between the groups.
• Growth development during puberty and the timing of the pubertal growth spurt showed no significant between-group differences (all P values ≥0.30).

Conclusions:

• In this population-based longitudinal study, adult-diagnosed celiac disease (CD) was not associated with impaired childhood growth or altered pubertal timing in boys.
• The findings suggest that boys diagnosed with CD in adulthood exhibit similar growth trajectories and pubertal development compared to their peers without the condition.