Chronic diarrhea of childhood and the misuse of elimination diets

Abstract

A prospective study was undertaken of 108 children referred for outpatient evaluation of chronic recurrent diarrhea. The majority of the children did not have a serious underlying disorder. Elimination diets (milk free, egg free, wheat free) were widely prescribed for the treatment of chronic diarrhea and were given for longer intervals than originally recommended. Elimination diets sometimes resulted in inadequate caloric intake and failure to thrive. Wheat (gluten)-free diets were prescribed for over one month in 59% of children without a specific diagnosis being made. These findings indicate that elimination diets are frequently misused, and prolonged adherence to elimination diets may result in nutritional damage. The indiscriminate use of wheat-free diets for the treatment of chronic diarrhea may be masking the diagnosis of celiac disease and may account for the low incidence of this disorder in the United States.