Aim: The moments that follow the diagnosis of celiac disease and the early stages of the gluten-free diet are extremely difficult and complex for parents and child, because they face an important change punctuated by self-denial and deprivation. The main objective of this research is to assess the impact of celiac disease on quality of life in subjects in developmental age, taking into account the perceptions of parents about the child's illness, with the aim to highlight the effect of disease on the child and the entire family.
Methods: The study included both parents of 45 children aged between 2 and 10 years, with established celiac disease. To evaluate the effect of celiac disease on the lifestyle of affected children and their families has been used, after having adapted to the Italian context, the Impact Scale of Childhood Diseases of Hoare and Russell (1995). This study shows that celiac disease is a condition that has a significant impact on both the child and his family.
Results and conclusion: The results obtained by administration of Impact Scale of Childhood Diseases to parents showed that subjects in developmental age with celiac disease could have difficulty on emotional level that affect child development and the whole family context. Acceptance of the illness by the child depends mainly by how much and how this has been accepted by parents.