Observations on the progress of four small girls with celiac disease seem of sufficient interest to report, since normal growth and development were obtained and since certain fairly popular dietary measures were found to be of relatively little value.
From the nutritional standpoint celiac disease is characterized by an inability to utilize fats, starches and the more complex sugars. When these are fed a large proportion of the ingested food is lost through the feces, and as a consequence metabolic deficiencies result. On this basis can be explained much of the clinical picture of celiac disease, such as abdominal distention, peculiar character of the stools, retardation of growth and marked tendency to infections and dental caries.
The child suffering from celiac disease has the same nutritional requirements as the normal child, and attempts to eliminate the foods not tolerated have resulted frequently in diets lacking in some of the known