The Celiac Disease Foundation and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Announce Clinical Guide for Pediatric Celiac Disease

AMBLER, Pa., May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Celiac Disease Foundation and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) announce the release of the NASPGHAN Clinical Guide for Pediatric Celiac Disease, an easy-to-use and convenient decision tree tool to assist healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of pediatric celiac disease patients. The Clinical Guide may be accessed by all iOS and Android devices and by desktop at clinical.celiac.org.

Developed in partnership with the Celiac Disease Foundation®, the NASPGHAN Clinical Guide for Pediatric Celiac Disease is based on the best evidence available at the time it is delivered. Because new data are published continuously, the NASPGHAN Clinical Guide for Pediatric Celiac Disease will be updated and revised to reflect all relevant new data and clinical information. The NASPGHAN Clinical Guide for Pediatric Celiac Disease provides recommendations for appropriate care for most but not all patients; however, individual patient circumstances must be considered when applying these recommendations.

"On behalf of NASPGHAN and its Clinical Care and Quality Committee, we are pleased to present this Clinical Guide to aid pediatric providers in navigating some of the challenging steps that may arise in an evaluation of celiac disease," said Norelle R. Reilly, M.D., NASPGHAN Clinical Guide Co-Chair and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University. "A diagnosis of celiac disease is life-long and given increasing disease prevalence, more pediatricians will require the tools to interpret test data from a variety of sources. This tool was developed to consolidate current guidelines, research, and expert opinion into an accessible and user-friendly electronic format to address diagnostic dilemmas and improve quality of care."    

"The average length of time to diagnosis for a symptomatic celiac disease patient is more than four years, and only about one in four people with celiac disease are diagnosed¹," said Marilyn G. Geller, Celiac Disease Foundation Chief Executive Officer. "Celiac Disease Foundation is pleased to assist NASPGHAN in offering a tool that can lead to early and increased diagnosis, improving the quality and effectiveness of pediatric patient care."

Affecting 1% of the world's population, and 1 in 10 if a family member has celiac disease, celiac disease is a profoundly underdiagnosed genetic autoimmune disorder caused by an immune reaction to the ingestion of gluten. The only approved treatment for celiac disease is lifetime adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. Early and accurate diagnosis remains critical in the effective treatment of pediatric celiac disease.

¹Choung et al. Mayo Clin Proc. 2017; 92 (1): 30-38

About NASPGHAN
The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, founded in 1972, is the only society in North America, and the largest in the world, dedicated to serving the pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition communities. NASPGHAN was established to advance the understanding of the normal development and physiology of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver in infants, children, and adolescents, and to foster the dissemination of this knowledge. For more information, please visit www.naspghan.org.

About Celiac Disease Foundation®

Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) drives diagnosis, treatment, and a cure for celiac disease, one of the world's most common, and least diagnosed genetic autoimmune diseases. A non-profit, public benefit corporation established in 1990, CDF leads the fight to improve the quality of life for all people affected by celiac disease and non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity through a comprehensive program of research, education, and advocacy initiatives. For more information about CDF, visit celiac.org.

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SOURCE Celiac Disease Foundation

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