BOSTON—Managing Celiac disease is harder for children because they aren’t always able to follow the strict diet and discern which foods contain gluten, said Alan M. Leichtner, MD, director of the Center for Celiac Disease at Children’s Hospital Boston. Additionally, older kids face taunting and peer pressure at school, which leads to a feeling of isolation.
Leichter said the number of children diagnosed with Celiac disease is on the rise due in part to better testing and a natural increase in the disease.