Author: Belinda Martin, Accredited Practising Dietitian | PREGNANCY NUTRITION
The coeliac society lists ‘unexplained subfertility’ as a ‘symptom’ of undiagnosed coeliac disease which suggests that if you are having trouble falling pregnant, maybe you should be screened for coeliac disease. Is there evidence for this?
Yes, there is! A large Danish study published last year looked at a registry spanning 40 years of 6300 women with coeliac disease matched to controls without the disease. The study found that prior to diagnosis (i.e. when they didn’t know they had it) women with coeliac disease had a 57% increased risk of still birth and a 12% increased risk of spontaneous abortion compared with women without the disease.
The authors say that this equates to 11 extra spontaneous abortions per 1000 pregnancies among undiagnosed women with coeliac disease, and 25 fewer pregnancies per 1000 pregnancies.
“These findings suggest that undiagnosed coeliac disease can affect female reproduction and the focus should be on early detection of coeliac disease in high risk groups,” the authors say.
The main theory is that the high levels of antibody transglutaminase seen in undiagnosed or poorly controlled coeliac disease can impair placental formation.
However, once these women are diagnosed with coeliac disease and are compliant with a gluten free diet the chances of pregnancy and poor outcomes equals that of women without the disease. So yes unexplained subfertility could be undiagnosed coeliac disease.
This data strongly supports the idea that women who are having trouble conceiving or unexplained subfertility should most definitely be screened for coeliac disease. All it takes is a visit to your GP for a blood test. Whilst this test is not diagnostic of coeliac disease, it will give you an idea of your likelihood of having the disease. It maybe the thing that is getting in the way of you falling pregnant so it’s definitely worth ruling it out.
If you have coeliac disease and are finding it hard to conceive, get some help from an Accredited Practicing Dietitian to ensure you are strictly adhering to a gluten free diet. Hey that’s us – we can help you.
About the Author
Belinda Martin is a Perth Dietitian specialising in pregnancy nutrition, infant nutrition and paediatric nutrition. She is the co-founder of Advanced Dietitians Group and loves working with people and families. She has been a dietitian for 20 years. She has worked as a Senior Dietitian and Paediatric Dietitian in various teaching hospitals in Western Australia and the United Kingdom. When she is not working, she is trying to tame a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old (and a 40+ year old) at home.
About Advanced Dietitians Group
Advanced Dietitians Group was founded in 2014 by Belinda Martin and Ingrid Roche, Perth dietitians with a combination of over 40 years’ experience in the industry. Both dietitians have a range of experience across the lifespan but specialise in paediatric nutrition, pregnancy nutrition, infant nutrition and allergies. They provide up to date evidence-based nutrition advice. This coupled with their wealth of experience in dietetics ensures you get the best possible nutrition service. They get a buzz out of helping their clients and their families.
