Oat Products in the Treatment of Coeliac Disease in Children

• Clinical safety through serological markers of coeliac disease and intestinal wall integrity, clinical and bioumoral parameters of nutrition status, frequency and clinical type of dyspeptic disorders or other adverse reactions. [ Time Frame: Controls at recruiting, after 3, 6, 12, 15, 18 months from the beginning of the study. ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  

• Liking of gluten-free products containing oatmeal is evaluated through a product liking questionnaire. [ Time Frame: Product liking questionnaire after 6 months and 18 months from the beginning of the study. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Several clinical trials have demonstrated that most celiac patients, both of pediatric and of adult age, can take medium-high quantity of oat (50-100 g/day), without any negative clinical effects.

In a small number of cases intestinal dyspeptic disorders, especially meteorism, can be observed, particularly during the first weeks of oat intake. They are generally without clinical significance because they are a consequence of the increased fibre intake.

There are only few cases of "true" oats intolerance. The addition of oat improves the nutritional quality of the gluten-free diet, particularly due to the increased intake of fibre and some oligoelements (iron, zinc, tiamin, pholates) and expands the spectrum of food choices.

In many Northern European countries oat-based products have been used in the dieto-therapy of coeliac disease for many years.

For the oat-based product to be considered suitable in the dieto-therapy of coeliac disease, the absence of gluten contamination and possibly the origin from a variety of oat which is without traces of gluten cross-reactive peptides must be guaranteed.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical tolerance and liking of gluten-free products containing oatmeal from a specific oat variety (not contaminated with gluten) in a sample of Italian celiac patients in pediatric age.