A recent study (JPGN 2014; 59: 225-28) examined fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies in pediatric patients with newly diagonosed Celiac disease (CD).

Of the 83 patients analyzed between 1995-2012 at the Mayo clinic, the key findings:

• No patients had vitamin A deficiency
• Two patients had vitamin E deficiency.  Both of these patients had complete villous atrophy along with a malabsorptive presentation.
• Nine patients had mild-to-moderate vitamin D deficiency (less than the reported frequency in the general pediatric population)
• All of these vitamin deficiencies corrected with gluten-free diet and vitamin supplements.

A limitation of the study was a selection bias as not all children underwent vitamin level measurements.

Take-home message (from authors): “fat-soluble deficiencies are uncommon in children with a new diagnosis of CD.  Routine measuring of fat-soluble vitamin levels may not be necessary.”

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• Closer followup for Celiac disease & pediatric guidelines …
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