Celiac disease Archives

State of Celiac Disease in the United States

March 1, 2023

Vahe Badalyan, M.D., director of the Children’s National Celiac Disease Program, discusses the current state of celiac disease in the United States, including diagnosis and care among pediatric populations.

Q: In your opinion, how would you classify the state of Celiac Disease among children in the United States as it compares to 10 years ago?

A: Celiac disease in the United States is increasingly recognized as a common disorder of childhood. While this can partly be attributed to improved recognition and more testing by primary care providers, “true incidence” of this immune-mediated disease is also said to be rising, independent of the screening practices.

While there is a larger variety of gluten-free food options available today, these options are often more costly than their gluten-counterparts. Additionally, gluten-free food options are not covered by insurance companies. With inflation and rising food prices, there is a real concern for increased economic burden and food insecurity for the families of children with celiac.

Q: Are there any misnomers about Celiac Disease that you think are important to address?

A: Classic symptoms of celiac disease, including diarrhea and malnutrition, now occur in a minority of celiac patients. There is a rising proportion of milder or asymptomatic presentation at the time of diagnosis. Paired with the fact that most celiac patients identified through mass-screening did not have a family history of celiac disease (~90%) or gastrointestinal symptoms (70%), one may need to have a high index of suspicion for children with atypical presentation, such as neurologic symptoms, iron and vitamin D deficiency.

Q: What excites you about the future of treatment for Celiac Disease?

A: I am encouraged that researchers across the globe are testing new, pharmacologic therapies for celiac disease. Some of the tested compounds, such as latiglutenase or TAK-062 , involve breaking down gluten-using enzymes, while others, such as TAK-101 aim to induce immune tolerance. These compounds are still at the early stages of the long and arduous process of drug development and approval. Current randomized trials typically include adults, although some recently opened enrollment to adolescents. While there are no guarantees, I am cautiously optimistic that in the future we will have pharmacologic, non-dietary treatment options for celiac disease.

Q: How is Children’s National a leader in the field of pediatric Celiac Disease?

A: Concerns about gluten exposure can be quite stressful for our patients and families, which can lead to hypervigilance, anxiety and even depression. We are fortunate to have a full-time psychologist, Shayna Coburn, Ph.D., as part of our Multidisciplinary Celiac Disease Program team. This allows us to treat not only physiological symptoms and concerns associated with celiac disease, but to also evaluate the psychological problems that may arise as a result of the condition.

The psychosocial impact of food intolerances

November 10, 2022

Digestive illnesses involving food intolerances can bring unique challenges to pediatric patients and clinical management.

Digestive illnesses involving food intolerances bring unique challenges to clinical management. This is mainly due to their impacts on psychological and social functioning and reliance on elimination diets as primary treatment strategies.

In a review article published in the journal of Gastroenterology Clinics of North America, experts summarize psychosocial factors to consider in food intolerances as part of a larger special issue on topics pertaining to psychogastroenterology.

“Both pediatric and adult patients with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity and eosinophilic esophagitis report increased anxiety-related symptoms,” says Shayna Coburn, Ph.D., psychologist at Children’s National Hospital and lead author of the article. “They also report hypervigilance-related eating, social ramifications including stigma and isolation and reduced quality of life directly related to food intolerances and dietary management.”

Experts at Northwestern University and Children’s Hospital Colorado also aided in this research.

The hold-up in the field

Integrated approaches using properly trained registered dietitians and clinical psychologists should be a mainstay for patients requiring long-term elimination diet treatment to mitigate some of these negative impacts, Coburn explains.

“Traditionally, gastrointestinal conditions are studied from a medical and biological perspective,” Coburn says. “Only recently has there been more emphasis on psychosocial factors in living with these conditions.”

The authors provide a narrative review to synthesize the clinical and research knowledge on the topic and inform practitioners from a range of disciplines.

How Children’s National Hospital leads the way

The Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National provides a specialized destination for families in need of evidence-based care and behavioral research opportunities for celiac disease and related conditions.

This work brings attention to the multitude of risks, stressors and challenges associated with food intolerances and aims to validate the struggles many face.

“We hope this article will serve as a reference for patient advocates to ensure appropriate emotional and behavioral support is provided when needed,” Coburn says.

This study brings together the similarities and differences in several conditions, and it is powerful how similar the challenges are across the diagnoses.

“It inspires us to consider more cross-cutting collaborative work to gain a bigger picture on the needs of patients with food intolerances and special diets,” Coburn says.

Grant funds behavioral intervention study of teens with celiac disease

January 19, 2022

Shayna Coburn, Ph.D. was awarded a National Institute of Health (NIH) K23 Career Development Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Shayna Coburn, Ph.D., was awarded a National Institute of Health (NIH) K23 Career Development Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. This is the first NIH funded behavioral intervention study focused on children and teens with celiac disease.

The award will allow Dr. Coburn to refine and test a behavioral intervention for teens with celiac disease and their parents. Using feedback from teen and parent stakeholders, the goal of Dr. Coburn’s research is to improve a telehealth-based coping skills group for teens and parents in the Children’s National Celiac Program and then test whether it improves their quality of life and self-management of the gluten-free diet. Dr. Coburn will also conduct a randomized controlled trial to compare outcomes to those patients who receive current standard of care with the Celiac Program.

Dr. Coburn is a licensed psychologist in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Children’s National Hospital and is in charge of psychosocial services in the Celiac Disease Program, which offers consultations and empirically supported interventions to help families navigate the challenges of diagnosis and management of the gluten-free diet. She also contributes to the local and national celiac disease community through her development of support and coping skills groups, educational programming, advocacy and research.

Q & A with Celiac Disease Program Director Vahe Badalyan, M.D.

September 28, 2021

Vahe Badalyan, M.D., Celiac Disease Program Director

Children’s National Hospital is helping to improve the way pediatric celiac disease is diagnosed and treated. We are proud to announce that Vahe Badalyan, M.D., is the new director of our Celiac Disease Program. Here, Dr. Badalyan tells us more about his work and what makes the Children’s National Celiac Disease Program unique.

Why did you decide to work in this field?

I developed my interest in gastroenterology (GI) from the first months of being a pediatric intern at Inova Fairfax Children’s Hospital. As a resident, I was fortunate to work with and learn from the pediatric GI group led by Ian Leibowitz, M.D., whose mentorship and example inspired me to choose a career in pediatric GI. This field is ripe with so many opportunities to improve the lives of children with very diverse medical conditions, such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease and short bowel syndrome, while achieving professional fulfillment and satisfaction. Later, as a pediatric GI fellow at Children’s National, I was fortunate to work with the late John Snyder, M.D., who was in the foundation of developing our celiac program and was so passionate about helping children and families cope with celiac disease. Part of the reason I joined the celiac program is to continue Dr. Snyder’s legacy and to build on his vision to provide excellent care, education and advocacy for our celiac patients.

What is the importance of the multidisciplinary clinic approach for celiac care?

The advantage of the multidisciplinary clinic approach is that patients receive comprehensive care that is tailored to their specific needs. In this setting, medical, nutrition and mental health professionals come together to share the care priorities from their unique perspectives and build a roadmap for the patient that incorporates details of care that may otherwise have been missed. Patient questions pertaining to multiple specialties can be discussed and answered right then and there.

What are some of the most valuable changes or advancements for the program you hope to see in the next couple of years?

We hope to expand the screening and diagnosis of celiac disease in our communities, as many patients with celiac have minimal or no symptoms and go undiagnosed for years. Early detection will allow us to get involved sooner in patients’ lives and make a bigger difference for them. We also hope to be a part of clinical research on celiac disease, including drug therapy trials.

What makes the Celiac Program at Children’s National unique from other programs in the country?

We place a big emphasis on mental health and have a dedicated psychologist working with the children and their families. We also have an excellent celiac educator, dietician, coordinator and nurse practitioner who empower our patients to cope with celiac, lead normal lives and achieve their dreams and aspirations.

Celiac disease linked to psychosocial distress

March 11, 2020

A recent study found elevated rates of psychosocial distress among children with celiac disease compared to the general population.

Shayna Coburn, Ph.D., assistant professor and psychologist at Children’s National Hospital, is the lead author of a recent article on the first study to report mental health disorders (MHD) in North American children with celiac disease (CeD). The study found elevated rates of psychosocial distress among the children compared to the general population.

The study is based on electronic surveys of patients’ MHD history, psychological symptoms and experiences with the gluten-free diet (GFD) as well as follow-up visits to the Multidisciplinary Celiac Disease Clinic at Children’s National between spring 2017 and spring 2018. The survey participants included 73 parents of children ages 3 to 18 attending the clinic. The researchers calculated rates of MHD in the children and compared them to National Institute of Mental Health population-level data.

Thirty-four percent of the children had at least one MHD. Their rates of anxiety disorders (16%) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, 16%,) were more common than general population rates. More than one-quarter of parents reported current psychosocial distress in their child (28-39%), and approximately half reported their own stress (51%) and worry about the financial burden (46%) associated with the GFD – the only treatment for the disease.

The findings are detailed in an article titled “Mental Health Disorders and Psychosocial Distress in Pediatric Celiac Disease,” which appears on the website of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. The article is scheduled to appear in the May 2020 print edition of the journal, which will be available April 24.

Coburn and her co-authors also compared the experiences of children diagnosed with CeD less than three months prior to the study with those diagnosed more than three months prior. They were surprised to find that patients’ rates of comorbid CeD and MHD didn’t differ depending on the time of diagnosis, says Coburn.

Parents of children with new CeD diagnoses were less confident in the GFD, but the timing of a CeD diagnosis did not affect the rates of MHD, stress and financial burden. Children with MHD had more anxiety, anger and overall distress as well as parents who were suffering with distress than those without MHD.

The researchers’ findings about the timing of diagnosis “seemed to indicate that perhaps there’s a chronic stress burden on families that doesn’t necessarily improve with time and might be exacerbated in children who have mental health disorders,” says Coburn, who directs psychosocial services for the hospital’s Celiac Disease Program.

Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of ongoing routine screening and treatment for psychosocial distress associated with CeD and the GFD.

The start of the study coincided with the establishment of the clinic, where Coburn and her colleagues were seeing patients with comorbid CeD and MHD. At the clinic, patients and their families are treated by a gastroenterologist as well as the clinic’s nutritionist, education team, psychologist, neurologist and neuropsychologist during an integrative multidisciplinary appointment.

Coburn notes that generally the psychosocial impact on patients with CeD has been overlooked or viewed as a minor condition. “Our work is showing that there are a lot of psychosocial vulnerabilities in children and adults with celiac disease.”

As she continues her research, Coburn sees a need “to advocate for incorporating psychological screening into routine medical treatment of patients with celiac disease. We’d like this to be part of best practices and want to develop behavioral treatments for patients so they’re succeeding with the gluten-free diet.”

“With ADHD there are problems with impulse control, which can make it extra hard to maintain a gluten-free diet,” says Coburn. The co-principal investigators want to study in-depth some of the families who participated in the earlier study to gauge how effectively they’re able to manage ADHD symptoms in order to maintain a gluten-free diet.

Coburn and Maegan Sady, a neuropsychologist at Children’s National, have received a $25,000 grant from the Lambert Family Foundation to study comorbid ADHD and CeD and how they affect a patient’s ability to adhere to the GFD.

Talking on Capitol Hill about the need for increased celiac research funding

March 4, 2020

Celiac Disease Program leaders joined policymakers, experts and families to make the case for additional celiac disease research funding on Capitol Hill in January 2020.

Federal funding for celiac disease has been virtually nonexistent, despite the fact that celiac is one of the most common genetic autoimmune disorders. The lack of funding directly translates into a shortage of research into better understanding celiac disease, its mechanisms and potential treatment alternatives to the strict diet that is the current standard of care.

In January, the leaders of the Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National Hospital, Dr. Benny Kerzner and Vanessa Weisbrod, gave oral testimony as part of a congressional briefing hosted by Congressman Dwight Evans (PA) on the need for significant research funding in this area. Also presenting were Jon and Leslie Bari, founders of Celiac Journey and Gluten Free Finds PA, who are parents of a child with celiac, as well as Dr. Arjunot Singh, attending physician in gastroenterology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The briefing focused on how federal funding for celiac research could bring multi-center, large scale research projects to the study of the condition for the first time, with the goal of accomplishing the following:

Better understanding the immunological basis of the disease
Identifying celiac disease’s triggers and how to prevent them
Exploring potential treatments and/or cures, including those that might inhibit onset of the disease or induce tolerance of the gluten protein

In their testimony, Kerzner and Weisbrod noted that the only current treatment for celiac disease is a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet, and that there is no medication or cure for the condition. Parents and children alike struggle with managing the diet and coping with the persistent fear of increased mortality from other conditions that commonly co-occur with celiac disease, including non-Hodgkins lymphoma, liver disease, small bowel cancers and other autoimmune conditions.

Weisbrod also spoke about an existing collaborative research and care infrastructure called the Celiac Kids Network – an informal consortium of 12 pediatric hospitals with celiac programs that research together, develop tools to measure gluten exposure risks, share best practices and collaborate on difficult cases. She made the case that should federal funding significantly increase, infrastructure is already in place to manage and oversee the types of research collaborations that could really make a difference for children.

“We dream of establishing a learning health system with a coordinated patient registry that is representative of all patients with celiac disease no matter where in the country they live,” Weisbrod concluded in her testimony. “A national biorepository of patient blood and tissue samples would enable researchers from every medical discipline to join us in understanding how celiac disease affects kids. We could evaluate the biological and psychological outcomes of patients to look for interventions to improve quality of life. The sky is the limit. But to do this, we need big funding to collect big data, to make big differences.”

Play-Doh, dry pasta show little gluten transfer

January 21, 2020

A preliminary study found no significant gluten transfer on hands or surfaces after children used Play-Doh and dry, uncooked pasta for classroom and sensory play.

Parents who worry their child with celiac disease may be exposed to gluten at school might be able to strike two common school substances – Play-Doh and dry, uncooked pasta – from the exposure risk list, as long as children don’t consume them. A preliminary study from Children’s National Hospital published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition found no significant gluten transfer on hands or surfaces after children used these items for classroom and sensory play.

Other common school supplies and activities such as paper mâché and baking projects with flour-based dough were associated with gluten transfer. However, gluten residue was not detected when hands and play surfaces were cleaned through basic hygiene including hand-washing and routine surface cleaning.

“We’ve coached families for many years to avoid kids touching any gluten containing school supply, which can be challenging, especially for young children, including my own,” says Vanessa Weisbrod, executive director of the Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National Hospital, who conceived and led the study. “These findings make an easy distinction – school supplies that are dry and not sticky show very low gluten transfer, while those that were wet and pasty cling heavily to hands and table surfaces. In all cases, good hand hygiene and cleaning surfaces after using gluten-containing materials can prevent most gluten transfer.

The authors tested five scenarios commonly taking place in schools where it was thought gluten transfer could be high enough to pose a risk for someone with celiac disease. Gluten transfer was quantified by measuring the amount of gluten in an entire slice of gluten-free bread handled by the child or wiped on the play surfaces, both before and after cleaning. In general, products containing greater than 20 parts per million (ppm) or .002% gluten are considered unsafe for patients with celiac disease.*

The study found negligible gluten transfer in two scenarios:

Play-Doh: After five minutes of play, none of the samples rubbed on the hands of children had gluten transfers above the 20ppm threshold. Only two slices of bread tested above the 20 ppm threshold when rubbed on table surfaces. Both of these slices had visible pea-sized pieces of Play-Doh adhered to them.
Dry pasta in a sensory table: All samples (hands and surfaces) contained less than 20 ppm gluten, and 9 out of 10 samples were under 5 ppm after five minutes of play.

School scenarios where significant gluten transfer was detected included:

Home economics baking project: Both hands and workspaces used to roll out flour-containing cookie dough transferred potentially clinically significant amounts of gluten to bread – well above the assay’s upper limit quantification of 84 ppm.
Paper mâché balloon art: Even after hands and surfaces dried, gluten transfer after this activity was high, mostly above 84 ppm.
Cooked, dyed pasta in a sensory table: After five minutes of play with cooked pasta gluten transfer resulted in concentrations of more than 20ppm gluten, with most samples exceeding 84 ppm.

“These methods provide a realistic estimate of the risk to children with celiac disease using gluten-containing school supplies,” notes Jocelyn Silvester, M.D., Ph.D., director of Research for the Celiac Disease Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and a co-author on the study. “Now we can give evidence-based recommendations to families and schools, so that they can focus on what is most important to keep children with celiac disease safe.”

“Educators are very aware of our additional responsibility to keep students safe during every learning experience at school,” says Amy Damast, Ph.D., Director of Early Childhood Education and Family Engagement at the Temple Sinai Early Childhood Education Program and study co-author. “These study findings should reassure us all that routine, careful handwashing and surface-cleaning methods will keep children with celiac disease safe and healthy, while allowing them to participate in more activities that may involve gluten-containing materials. This study is a win for the students and their schools.”

Clean hands and surfaces matter most

Following the Play-Doh and home economics baking project, the team also tested the effectiveness of three cleaning methods at removing gluten particles. All three – hand-washing with just water, hand-washing with soap and water or thorough wiping with an antibacterial hand wipe – demonstrated the ability to effectively remove gluten.

“Whether you’re protecting from bacteria or gluten, hand-washing and surface hygiene are key,” says Weisbrod. “As parents we want to do everything we can to keep our kids safe and healthy, and this study definitely shows that the number one thing we can do is teach our kids to wash their hands!”

“The presence of gluten in schools poses a potentially serious health concern for students with celiac disease, both in long-term health complications and in debilitating acute symptoms at the time of exposure, seriously inhibiting a student’s ability to succeed at school,” says Marilyn G. Geller, chief executive officer of the Celiac Disease Foundation, which funded the study. “The Celiac Disease Foundation is proud to partner with Children’s National Hospital and sponsor research that defines the risk of gluten contamination in everyday school supplies.”

*U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations allow foods with less than 20 parts per million of gluten to be labeled “gluten-free.” It is not possible to detect zero ppm – the lowest detected level is 3 ppm (.0003%).

Do celiac families need two toasters?

November 18, 2019

Parents using multiple kitchen appliances and utensils to prevent their child with celiac disease from being exposed to gluten may be able to eliminate some cumbersome steps according to new research.

Parents using multiple kitchen appliances and utensils to prevent their child with celiac disease from being exposed to gluten may be able to eliminate some cumbersome steps. A new, preliminary study from Children’s National Hospital published in the journal Gastroenterology found no significant gluten transfer when tools like the same toaster or knives are used for both gluten-free and gluten-containing foods.

The study authors found that performing these types of kitchen activities using the same kitchen equipment may not pose a high risk of gluten exposure for people with celiac disease. Additionally, basic kitchen hygiene, including routine washing of utensils and equipment with soap and water and handwashing, can further reduce or eliminate gluten transfer.

The authors tested three scenarios where it was thought that gluten transfer could be high enough to pose a gluten exposure risk for someone with celiac disease – in general, greater than 20 parts per million (ppm) or .002%.* However, the study found less gluten transfer than expected in the following scenarios:

Toasting bread: Gluten levels remained at less than 20 ppm when gluten-free bread was toasted in the same toaster as regular bread, across repeated tests and even when gluten-containing crumbs were present at the bottom of the toaster.
Cupcakes: Gluten levels also remained below 20 ppm in most cases when a knife used to cut frosted gluten-containing cupcakes was then used to cut gluten-free cupcakes, even when visible crumbs were stuck to the icing on the knife.
Pasta: Cooking gluten-free pasta in the same water as regular pasta did cause significant gluten transfer, sometimes as high as 115 ppm. However, if the gluten-free pasta was rinsed under running tap water after cooking, the gluten transfer dropped to less than 20 ppm. If the pasta pot was simply rinsed with fresh water before being reused, then gluten transfer was undetectable.

*U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations allow foods with less than 20 parts per million of gluten to be labeled “gluten-free.” It is not possible to detect zero ppm—the lowest detected level is 3 ppm (.0003%).

“So many celiac parents, including me, have taken every precaution to prevent a gluten exposure in our homes. In many cases that means having two of everything – toasters, knives and pasta pots, with little or no hard evidence showing we needed to,” says Vanessa Weisbrod, executive director of the Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National Hospital, who conceived and led the study. “Though the sample is small, this study gives me hope that someday soon we’ll have empirical evidence to reassure the families we work with that their best defense is not two kitchens – it’s simply a good kitchen and personal hygiene. And, that we can travel to grandma’s house or go on a vacation without worrying about a second toaster.”

“These are areas of the kitchen where today we coach families to exercise an abundance of caution. We still recommend following all guidelines from your celiac care team to prevent cross contamination while we do further study,” adds Benny Kerzner, M.D., the study’s senior author and director of the Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National Hospital. “But the results are compelling enough that it’s time for our larger celiac community to look at the current recommendations with a critical eye and apply evidence-based approaches to pinpoint the true risks for families and eliminate some of the hypervigilant lifestyle changes that we sometimes see after a family receives a celiac diagnosis.”

“This study provides novel data that quantifies the risk of gluten exposure when preparing gluten-free food alongside gluten-containing foods and highlights the need for further study in this area so that recommendations can be evidence-based,” notes Jocelyn Silvester, M.D., Ph.D. FRCPC, director of Research for the Celiac Disease Program at Boston Children’s Hospital who led the study’s biostatistical analysis.

The authors maintain that the most important thing families can do to prevent gluten reaction is practicing simple hygiene steps that include washing pots, pans and kitchen utensils with soap and water after each use (and before using them to prepare gluten-free food) and for all family members to wash their hands with soap and water before preparing gluten-free food.

“The treatment burden of maintaining a strict gluten-free diet has been compared to that of end-stage renal disease, and the partner burden to that of caring for a cancer patient,” says Marilyn G. Geller, chief executive officer of the Celiac Disease Foundation. “This preliminary study is encouraging that this burden may be reduced by scientifically evaluating best practices in avoiding cross-contact with gluten. We congratulate the Children’s National Celiac Disease Program team in taking this important first step in bettering the lives of celiac disease patients and their loved ones.”

Shayna Coburn, Ph.D., receives APA Achievement Award for Early Career Psychologists

October 15, 2018

Shayna Coburn, Ph.D assistant professor and psychologist at Children’s National Health System.

Shayna Coburn, Ph.D., assistant professor and psychologist at Children’s National Health System, has been awarded an American Psychological Association (APA) Achievement Award for Early Career Psychologists.

APA’s Committee on Early Career Psychologists announced the award for early career members who work in all areas of psychology (education, practice, public interest and science) to attend the APA Annual Convention August 2018 in San Francisco.

“At this early stage in my career, the recognition of my achievements thus far is highly valuable as I expand my body of work and strive to advance my career,” Coburn says.

The awards program was designed to reduce barriers to early career members’ attending APA conventions and to support their ability to make meaningful connections and engage in professional development. As a recipient of the award, Coburn received reimbursement up to $400 for convention-related expenses that could cover travel, lodging, meals and/or convention registration fees.

Throughout her career, Coburn has been passionate about clinical and research excellence as well as advocacy. In her current position in the celiac disease program, she has been involved with establishing a new psychosocial health program that combines multidisciplinary clinical service, research and community outreach.

During a previous APA convention, Coburn was able to attend as an exhibitor to promote a free continuing education program. This year was the first time she was featured as a presenter, speaking about celiac disease and psychosocial challenges associated with the disease.

Coburn presented data from Children’s National celiac disease multidisciplinary clinic to report the incidence rates of symptoms that patients experience such as anxiety, depression and stress from a gluten-free diet.

“The most important aspect of the award was having the largest organization of psychologists recognize that during the early stages of my career, I have been involved in work that is meaningful to the community,” Coburn says. “It’s always helpful to have extra support to attend a conference that is across the country from my home in Maryland,” she adds.

The leader and collaborator in a range of scientific, clinical and community-based activities thanks the award for being invaluable in facilitating her attending the conference and being able to participate in career-building and networking opportunities that will help enable her to build professional relationships nationwide.

Dispelling gluten-free myths and patient education headline the 2018 Washington DC Gluten-Free Education Day and Expo

July 2, 2018

audience members at the 2018 Gluten Free Expo keynote

On June 10, 2018, some of the brightest minds in the field gathered at the 2018 Washington DC Gluten-Free Education Day and Expo to discuss opportunities and challenges associated with living a gluten-free life.

The one-day expo focused on how the food we eat affects our brains, how to dispel gluten-free myths and how to think outside the box with new recipes and cooking demonstrations from local restaurants, bakeries and chefs.

Keynote speakers for this year’s symposium included Benny Kerzner, M.D., medical director, Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National, Jocelyn Silvester, M.D., director of Research, Celiac Disease Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Ian Liebowitz, M.D. from Pediatric Specialists of Virginia.

Additionally, Edwin Liu, M.D., from Colorado Children’s Hospital and Ilana Kahn, M.D., from Children’s National gave a joint keynote on the autoimmune connection, focusing on conditions related to celiac disease and the gut-brain connection.

Teen mentors gave a panel discussion for the 13+ age group attending the conference in a session called “For Teens from Teens!” during which they discussed the challenges of navigating a gluten-free lifestyle as a teen.

In addition to the useful educational sessions, attendees visited many of the 57 vendor tables with gluten-free product samples voting for the best sweet and savory winners.

The Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National Health System started in 2009 to improve the way pediatric celiac disease is diagnosed and treated. Working in partnership with concerned members of our community, our Celiac Disease Program brings together a team of expert physicians, nurses, nutritional consultants and professional counselors dedicated to developing a national model for detecting and treating celiac disease in children.

Celiac Program offers gluten-free diet app

June 19, 2017

The Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National has created a new digital app for celiac disease and gluten-free diet management.

Celiac disease affects approximately one in 100 children, making it one of the most common conditions in children. To help patients and their families understand more about the disease and live a safe, gluten-free lifestyle, the Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National has created a gluten-free diet app.

The Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Diet Digital Resource Center app was designed to offer all of the Celiac Disease Program’s educational tools in one place. “We have so many incredibly valuable resources, but all were housed in different places, making it very difficult to show people where to find them,” explains Vanessa Weisbrod, education director of the Celiac Disease program. “We created the app as a way to put everything in one place, but also as a mechanism for sharing our tools with the rest of the world.”

Available through the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace, the app gives users access to a variety of resources, including:

Safe and unsafe ingredient lists
Grocery store shopping tips
Gluten-free recipes accompanied by instructional cooking videos
Nutrition education
A monthly podcast
News feed of hot topics in the celiac and gluten-free community
Continuing education seminars led by celiac disease and gluten-free diet experts

“We are one of the few celiac programs in the country truly dedicated to developing high quality in-house patient education tools for families living with celiac disease,” says Weisbrod. “As we’ve shown our materials to other programs, they always ask us to share them. Through the app, anyone living a gluten-free lifestyle now has access to these remarkable tools.”

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