As researchers continue to explore the link between celiac disease and women’s health complications, new findings from Sweden indicate that fertility tends to decrease in the two years prior to celiac disease diagnosis.

The nationwide study, which compared 11,495 women with celiac disease to 51,109 reference women, found that women with celiac disease had “normal fertility” overall, but identified a decrease in fertility in 0-2 years before diagnosis.

Fertility was defined as “the number of children according to the Swedish Multi-Generation Register,” the study indicated.

Findings were published in GUT: An International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness recently launched “Celiac Disease and Women’s Health,” a special educational section on beyondceliac.org designed for women’s health practitioners. A patient brochure covering Celiac Disease and Women’s Health will soon be available.