Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : We have studied the extent of compliance with their gluten-free diet in 36 children with celiac disease. Gluten was eaten knowingly (25%) or unknowingly (17%) by a substantial number of patients. Non-compliance was three times more frequent in children from immigrant or underprivileged families. The reasons why such families hardly show enthusiasm for observing or maintaining a gluten-free diet include the diet's high cost, inadequateness of allocations currently assigned by the social security system, and poor diffusion of nutritional information which is often not available to families. We suggest reinforcing the nutritional monitoring of high risk children through regular home visits by a dietician who would check the composition of the diet, give practical advice and adequate information, and provide the families with psychological support. We believe it is absolutely necessary to promulgate European regulations compelling food manufacturers to print a suggestive symbol indicating the presence of gluten and the exact gluten content on the packages of their products.