<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
=========================    Internet
 
1.  National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse has a wide
selection of reference sheets on digestive medical conditions.  They may be
contacted at: National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse,
2 Information Way, Bethesda, MD 20892 (301) 654-3810 or
http://www.niddk.nih.gov.
 
2.  Celiac-Diabetes Screening:  It is thought that celiacs have a greater
chance of developing Type I (juvenile) diabetes than non-celiacs. There is
a free NIH-sponsored diabetes screening test going on.  If you live in the
USA and have a first or second degree relative with Type I diabetes, you
can be tested for free by calling (800) 425-8361. The purpose of the test
is to determine if those without diabetes (but with certain antibodies
indicating diabetes is likely to develop) can delay or avoid diabetes
through very small doses of insulin. (3)
 
3.  Celiac Disease and Birth Defects:  This story was posted on the
Internet regarding spina bifida and the possibility of birth defects relating
to nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy caused by celiac-related
malabsorption.  A young mother, who is quite thin, "...was diagnosed with
sprue in high school, but she got over it."  (This, of course, is nonsense.)
She has a young daughter with spina bifida.  The post suggested a possible
link between spina bifida and low maternal folic acid.  Meanwhile the young
mother could easily have another child, and is apparently unaware that she
still has (and always will have) the sprue she thought she got over in high
school.
 
This raised the question:  Could the spina bifida in the daughter have been
caused by malabsorption and is there any relationship to CD?  There were
several responses to this message.  Permission was granted by two of the
doctors to widely distribute their responses.
 
From: Markku Maki, MD
Date: September 15, 1995
 
At the Celiac Disease Study Group in Tampere, we want to respond.  We have
discussed this lately and we are going to do an inquiry to the Finnish
Coeliac Disease Society members about this.  Dr. Kati Holm has a case you
might be interested in:
 
The first child of the mother suffered from spina bifida and
meningomyelocele (boy). Two pregnancies that followed resulted in abortion
because of intrauterine diagnosis (confirmed meningomyelocele at autopsy).
During the fourth pregnancy anemia and folic acid deficiency were noticed.
The mother was treated with vitamins, folic acid and iron.  The pregnancy
resulted in a healthy girl.  After this there were again several abortions
because of detected menigmyelocele. The mother contacted Dr. Kati Holm
(Ph.D. on celiac disease) because of diarrhea and anemia and subsequently
celiac disease screening tests were performed among other studies.  IgA
class reticulin autoantibody tests were positive and a jejunal biopsy
revealed the typical lesion for celiac disease.  She was prescribed a
gluten-free diet, after which symptoms disappeared.  The iron and folic
acid deficiencies disappeared at the same time as the mucosa recovered.
One pregnancy resulted, without any other therapy, in a healthy child.
 
All this by chance alone??
 
From: Karoly Horvath, MD, Ph.D.
Date: September 17, 1995
 
The relation between folate deficiency and neural tube defects is well
documented. Several studies have demonstrated a significant reduction of
neural tube defects in the newborns of  folate supplemented pregnant woman.
The risk reduction varies between 58-91%. The different studies used
different supplementation and doses. A recent review article summarizes
the up-to-date information in this subject (Czeizel AE, "Folic acid in
the prevention of neural tube defects", Journal of Pediatric
Gastroenterology and Nutrition 20: 4-16, 1995).
 
The other association between folate deficiency and absorptive problem is
not questionable, and does not need to be proven.
 
I do not have any doubt that that the babies of women with non-diagnosed CD
have an increased risk for neural tube defects.  We can collect information
retrospectively,  however, it will not be easy and convincing.  A
prospective study is easier if we found a center treating mostly children
with neural tube defects and we can get blood samples from the mother
shortly after giving birth for folate level determination and celiac
serologic tests.
 
4.  Computer Software Discounts are designed to allow qualifying 501(c)3
nonprofit organizations to purchase certain Microsoft products at special
discounts. Eligible nonprofit organizations (excluding hospitals and HMOs)
may receive discounted prices on products for their business use only.
Other companies may offer similar programs.  Contact Microsoft Sales at
(800) 426-9400 for details. (4)
 
Dow Jones News is a subscription service available at some libraries.  It
is an easy way, to find articles on celiac disease in the news.  These
stories can give some interesting insight into living a GF diet or are a
handy reference for use in requesting a local story on celiacs.