الوصف: |
Introduction: Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic and autoimmune disorder caused by inflammatory T-cells response to the gluten-containing proteins. This disease may be expressed due to genetic predisposition, an autoimmune disorder, or environmental factors. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study that included only the pediatric population and aimed to determine the prevalence and complications of CD among children. A predesigned self-administered questionnaire was constructed by the researcher; it covered the socio-demographic data, the patients’ clinical data, including their state, the possible complications of the disease, and the diabetic patients. Results: A total of 729 children were included, 63.1% were females, and the ones aging above ten years ranked with 31.7%. The prevalence of CD was 32.4%, and only 11.2% were diabetic. More than half of this population did not suffer any complications at all (54.7%), while malnutrition and bone weakening were the most common complications with (27.8%) and (15.5%), respectively. Conclusion: There is a relatively low prevalence of CD among children. The majority of our population did not suffer any complications. Furthermore, malnutrition and bone weakening constituted the most frequent complications among the patients. |