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Intrauterine Growth Retardation (Failure to Grow Normally Before Birth)

intrauterine growth retardation gluten free
The twin on the right is much small than his brother on the left who has normal growth.

What Is Intrauterine Growth Retardation?

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]ntrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is a fetal development abnormality characterized by failure to grow normally for gestational period. Specifically, it means the developing baby weighs less than 90% of other babies at the same age.

Intrauterine growth retardation puts the baby at increased risk for complications such as premature birth or that the baby will die inside the womb before birth.1

Intrauterine growth restriction  may be suspected if the size of the pregnant woman’s uterus is small. The condition is usually confirmed by ultrasound. Further tests may be needed to screen for infection or genetic problems if intrauterine growth retardation is suspected.

Q: Why would a baby not grow normally during pregnancy? A: An unborn baby cannot grow normally  if it does not obtain adequate oxygen and nutrition delivered through the placenta from the mother. Factors that impede adequate delivery of nutrition include:

  • Poor placenta placement. Conditions that limit or interfere with space for nutrient and oxygen absorption between the placenta and the uterine wall include 1) low attachment of the placenta near or over the cervix where maternal blood supply is poor, 2) pulling away or bleeding between the placenta and uterine wall, 3) multiple placentas (from multiple babies) sharing the uterine wall may limit blood supply to one or more of the fetuses, and 4) the presence of an hydatid mole,  (non-fertilized egg growing wildly), tumor or fibroids taking up space or growing under or into the placenta. 
  • Chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. Conditions such as trisomy 22  have early onset  of  intrauterine growth retardation  in pregnancy. 
  • Poor health of the mother. These factors include 1) anemia which impairs the ability of the mother’s blood to deliver adequate oxygen, 2) preeclampsia which interferes with placenta function, 3) diabetes which impairs proper supply of energy, 4) kidney disease, 5) poor diet, 6) malabsorption, 7) high blood pressure or heart disease, 8) clotting disorders, and 9) toxins and infections during pregnancy that may harm the developing baby such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, and syphilis. 
  • Risk factors in the mother. Any of the following may contribute to intrauterine growth retardation:1
  • Alcohol abuse.
  • Drug addiction.
  • Smoking.

What Is Intrauterine Growth Retardation In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001500.htm [↩] [↩]

Dementia

DementiaWhat Is Dementia?

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]ementia is the term used to describe a group of symptoms that show significant deterioration of an individual’s intellectual and social abilities.

The deterioration in intellectual function is progressive and is characterized by memory and cognitive impairment involving deficits in reasoning, judgment, abstract thought, comprehension, learning, use of language, and task execution.

Some types of dementia can be reversed,  while most types of dementia are degenerative or nonreversible.

Q: What causes dementia?

A: There are  many differing causes of dementia.  Here are some causes according to nonreversible and reversible:

  • Nonreversible dementia may not be turned back due to these conditions:
  • Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of degenerative dementia caused by abnormal protein structures in certain areas of the brain. 
  • Lewy body disease is a leading cause of dementia in elderly adults.
  • Vascular dementia due to many small strokes.
  • Medical conditions: Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, infections that can affect the brain, such as HIV/AIDS and Lyme disease, Parkinson’s disease, Pick’s disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy.
  • Reversible dementia may be stopped or reversed if these conditions are found soon enough:
  • Brain injury.
  • Brain tumors.
  • Chronic alcohol abuse.
  • Changes in blood sugar, sodium, and calcium levels.
  • Changes that can occur with celiac disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, and other metabolic disorders.
  • Nutritional deficiencies.
  • Use of certain medications, including cimetadine and some cholesterol-lowering medications.1

What Is Dementia In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001748/ [↩]

Secondary Amenorrhea

What Is Secondary Amenorrhea? [dropcap]S[/dropcap]econdary amenorrhea is a menstrual disorder characterized by absence of menstruation for more than 3 months in females who had previously menstruated. Menstruation is the shedding of the endometrium (inner lining) of… 

Infertility in Females

images (2)What Is Infertility In Females?

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]nfertility in females is characterized by failure to conceive after one year of intercourse.

This condition can be frustrating and emotionally upsetting to the parents trying to conceive.

What Is Infertility In Females In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sperm Abnormalities 

imagesWhat Are Sperm Abnormalities?

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]perm abnormalities are the result of gonadal dysfunction (testicles) characterized by inability to either produce sperm or to produce viable sperm or mobile sperm which results in prohibiting fertilization of the female ovum.

Q: How are sperm normally produced?

A: There are two testicles, or testes, that are oblong, egg shapes about 2 inches long and an inch wide and enclosed in a protective sac called the scrotum which hangs outside the body. The testes have these functions:

  • Produce and store millions of sperm cells called spermatozoa.
  • Produce hormones, including testosterone which stimulate the production of sperm.

What Are Sperm Abnormalities In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Short Stature

Short StatureWhat Is Short Stature?

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]hort stature means the individual has not reached a normal height as a result of failure to thrive and severe growth delay in children.1

What Is Short Stature In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. Catassi C, Fasano A. Celiac disease as a cause of growth retardation in childhood. OpinionCurrent  in Pediatrics. Aug 2004;16(4):445-9. [↩]

Arachidonic Acid (AA) Deficiency

QueijoFresco.
QueijoFresco.

What Is Arachidonic Acid?

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]rachidonic acid is a major essential (must have/can’t make) omega-6 fatty acid.

Structurally, arachidonic acid is a key component of nerve membranes, together with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a major opposing omega-3 fatty acid, making up 15-20% of the brain’s dry mass and more than 30% of the retina.

In healthy human volunteers, positron emission tomography (PET) has shown that the normal human brain consumes 17.8 mg/day of arachidonic acid.1

Arachidonic acid is particularly concentrated in highly active membranes such as nerve synapses (junctions) and in photoreceptors in the eye retina.2

Arachidonic acid is an important building substance for the eicosanoids.

Q: What function do the eicosanoids have that are derived from arachidonic acid?

A: Eicosanoids are a large group of highly bioactive hormone-like substances including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes that are involved in blood clotting, inflammation, and vasoconstriction. Eicosanoids derived from arachidonic acid are pro-inflammatory, pro-blood clotting, and constrict blood vessels in opposition to those derived from the omega-3 fatty acids which do the opposite in order to keep a balance in the body.

What Is Arachidonic Acid Deficiency In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. Rapoport SI. Brain arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid cascades are selectively altered by drugs, diet and disease. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2008 Sep-Nov;79(3-5):153-6. Epub 2008 Oct 29. [↩]
  2. Richardson AJ. The importance of omega-3 fatty acids for behavior, cognition, and mood. Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition. 2003;47(2):92-8. [↩]

Delayed Puberty In Girls 

istock-photo-17167090-female-portraitWhat Is Delayed Puberty In Girls?

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elayed puberty in girls is a concerning condition characterized by decreased functional activity of the ovaries resulting in late onset of ovulation and secondary sex characteristics.

Q: When should puberty in girls begin?

A: Puberty in girls is a stage of reproductive development that occurs at the average age of 12.1 years (between the ages of 9 and 15 years) and ends in sexual maturity.

Secondary sex characteristics are breast development and appearance of pubic hair that is followed by underarm hair and white vaginal secretion. The first menstrual period (menarche) follows this sequence.

What Is Delayed Puberty in Girls In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Late Menarche (Start of Periods)

Late MenarcheWhat Is Late Menarche?

[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ate menarche is a menstrual disorder in girls characterized by abnormal delay of menstruation, with or without breast development. The menarche is the first menstrual period or the start of menstruation. It should start within 3 years of breast development which usually starts after 10 years of age.

Q: How does the delay of menstruation differ from the normal start?

A:  In temperate climates such as the United States, the  menarche starts at an average of thirteen and one half years or between 10 to 15 years. Conversely, late menarche means the start is abnormally delayed past 15 years.

Causes of late menarche include stress, excessive physical activity such as athletic competitions, chronic diseases such as anemia, autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, diabetes and thyroiditis, and nutritional deficiencies.

What Is Late Menarche In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Early Menopause or Ovarian Failure

fimbria_ovaricaWhat Is Early Menopause?

[dropcap]E[/dropcap]arly menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation in females before the age of 40 years characterized by vasomotor instability (hot flashes/cold episodes), psychologic and emotional symptoms and profound changes in the lower genital tract.

The most severe forms present with absent pubertal development and primary amenorrhea termed primary ovarian failure (50% of these cases due to ovarian dysgenesis), whereas forms with post-pubertal onset are termed secondary ovarian failure and are characterized by disappearance of menstrual cycles associated with premature follicular depletion.1

Q: What is ovarian failure?

A: Ovarian failure is dysfunction of the ovaries to continue developing its eggs until about 51 years of age and to produce female hormones which results in infertility.  Ovarian failure  is  diagnosed by  this criteria:

  • High levels in the blood of follicle stimulating hormone secreted by the pituitary gland, and
  • Low levels of estrogen secreted by the ovaries.

The hypothalamus located in the brain is continually monitoring blood levels of estrogen so that when levels are low, it stimulates the nearby pituitary, or master gland, to secrete follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH in turn stimulates the ovaries in females to produce estrogen. In ovarian failure, the ovaries do not respond to FSH. 

Some causes in the general population of women include cigarette smoking, viral infections, surgical removal of ovaries, chemotherapy, and autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease, Addison’s disease, hypoparathyroidism, diabetes mellitus, vitiligo, and pernicious anemia.

Who is Affected in the General Population? This heterogeneous disorder affects approximately 1% of women.2

What Is Early Menopause in Celiac Disease?

Sources:
  1. Beck-Peccoz P, Persani L. Premature ovarian failure. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2006 Apr 6;1:9. [↩]
  2. Beck-Peccoz P, Persani L. Premature ovarian failure. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2006 Apr 6;1:9. [↩]