Yes, celiac disease may cause delayed menarche (a late first period) in some young women, although all studies haven't found such a link. "Menarche" technically refers to the date of a girl's first menstrual period.
Puberty in girls, which begins about two to two-and-a-half years before menarche, typically starts at around age 10 and a half, according to About.com's Guide to Pediatrics, Vincent Iannelli, M.D. In the U.S., most girls go through menarche by the time they're 13 years, nine months old, and the average age of menarche is a little less than 12 and a half years old.
But girls with undiagnosed celiac disease seem to get a late start, at least in some research reports. For example, in one study, girls who were later diagnosed with celiac disease started their periods at a significantly older age than their non-celiac peers — 13.6 years, compared to 12.7 years for a control group. Another study found an even later average age of menarche for celiac girls: 16.16 years.
Some researchers blame malnutrition from untreated celiac disease or malabsorption of important nutrients for delayed menarche, while others say that gluten itself could be having some undiscovered effect on girls' reproductive systems.
However, other researchers haven't found a definitive link between late menarche and celiac disease. A comprehensive study of reproductive life disorders in Italian celiac women reported that the average age of menarche of celiac women overlapped the age range found in the control group.
Should I Blame Celiac Disease for My Daughter's Delayed Menarche?
There are several steps you can take if you think celiac disease might be delaying your daughter's menarche.
First, check out this guide to delayed puberty to see if there's really a problem. If a girl isn't showing the first signs of puberty by around age 14, you might want to investigate further.
If your daughter shows other celiac disease symptoms, you might want to have her screened for the condition, especially if there's a family history of celiac. Remember that many celiac symptoms are completely unrelated to the digestive system; in children and teens, especially, constant irritability can be a sign (although I admit it's hard to tell what irritability is abnormal with a moody teenager!).
Delayed puberty can be caused by a wide range of conditions, including thyroid disorders or chronic diseases such as diabetes (both of which also are closely linked with celiac disease, of course). If you're concerned that your daughter's late menarche might be due to celiac disease, your best bet is to schedule a full workup with her pediatrician.
Sources:
D. Martinelli et al. Reproductive life disorders in Italian celiac women. A case-control study. BMC Gastroenterology. 2010 Aug 6; 10:89.
J. Rujner. [Age at menarche in girls with celiac disease]. Ginekologica Polska. 1999 May;70(5):359-62.
C. Sferlazzas et al. Menarcheal age in celiac disease may not be delayed and may be irrespective of age at diagnosis and dietary management. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation. 2008 May; 31(5):432-5.
K.S. Sher et al. Female fertility, obstetric and gynaecological history in coeliac disease: a case control study. Acta Paediatrica supplement. 1996 May;412:76-7.
