Get Help from Our Tools for Families
Our experts created resources to help families enjoy themselves without worrying about gluten. Take a look at our cooking videos, classes, gluten-free diet guides and more.
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Children’s National Hospital is helping to improve the way pediatric celiac disease is diagnosed and treated. Working in partnership with concerned members of our community, our Celiac Disease Program and Multidisciplinary Celiac Disease Clinic bring together a team of expert physicians, nurses, nutritional consultants and psychologists dedicated to developing a national model for detecting and treating celiac disease in children.
Choosing Children's National for Celiac Disease Care
Our goal is to attack celiac disease aggressively through improved diagnosis, treatment and awareness, using a five-pronged approach featuring:
- State-of-the-art clinical care
- Meeting psychological needs
- Education and training of health care professionals
- Community outreach and advocacy
- Research
Learn more about our program.
Celiac Disease Basics
Celiac disease is a genetic, autoimmune digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. About one in 100 people has celiac disease, making it one of the most common conditions in children.
People who have celiac disease are permanently intolerant to gluten, a protein found in all forms of wheat, rye and barley. When ingested by affected individuals, an autoimmune reaction causes inflammation and damage to the nutrient-absorbing villi in the small intestine. Children with celiac disease are also at increased risk of experiencing mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and ADHD, as well as poorer quality of life.
If left unchecked, damage can occur in nearly every system in the body, such as:
- Skeletal
- Reproductive
- Neurological
- Dermatologic
Although the common belief is that gluten is found only in foods, the protein is used in many everyday products including:
- Medications
- Vitamins
- Hand sanitizer
- Cosmetic products such as lotion, shampoo and lipstick
Gluten-Free Diet App
Our gluten-free diet app is designed and maintained by the Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National. It provides a cohesive set of high-quality educational materials to patients and families living with celiac disease or a gluten-related condition in order to help with living a safe, nutritious and tasty gluten-free lifestyle.
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Celiac Disease Clinic
Children diagnosed with celiac disease and their families can schedule an integrative appointment at our clinic, where they will meet with a gastroenterologist as well as the clinic’s nutritionist, education team, psychologist, neurologist and neuropsychologist.
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Celiac Disease Treatment
Because treatment for celiac is nutritional (a gluten-free diet), our program emphasizes patient education, and we offer a range of patient- and family-centered programs about living with and managing celiac disease.
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Contact Information
For more information about the Celiac Disease Program, please email us.
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Celiac Cookbook
A gluten-free diet shouldn’t mean less flavor. After years of experimenting with celiac-friendly meals and goodies, the Children’s National Hospital Celiac Disease Program has gathered a compilation of gluten-free recipes to share with your family and friends.
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Celiac Disease Program Team
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Vahe Badalyan
Director, Celiac Disease Program
Gastroenterologist
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Lauren Pavone
Registered Dietician
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Shayna Coburn
Psychologist
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Lori Stern
Nurse Practitioner
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Kate Raber
Program Coordinator