<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
 I came across the following information in "Nursing Your Baby" by Karen and
Gale Pryor.  Along with the many other benefits to mother and baby of
breastfeeding, it seems that it might help prevent or delay the onset of
cd/gluten intolerance.  I wonder if anyone has done a study on the incidence
of cd in breastfed versus bottlefed babies?  Perhaps one factor in the rise
in cd in certain cultures who immigrate is the change from lengthy
breastfeeding to formula feeding or early (first four months) supplementation
with solids.
 
"Initial feedings of colostrum [milk produced in the first few days of
babies' life] are thought to protect the infant from allergic reactions
through a phenomenon known as gut closure; theoretically, the lipids and
secretory IgA in colostrum coat the linings of the infant's intestines,
sealing the intestinal mucosae and making them impermeable to large
molecules, thus making the subject less susceptible to invasion of disease
organisms.  A single feeding of colostrum might reduce intestinal
permeability and render the infant capable of digesting such molecules rather
than absorbing them unchanged [and thus possibly initiating an allergic
reaction].  The bottle-fed infant, on the other hand, may continue to absorb
whole proteins, and develop reactions to them, well into the second year of
life....Harvard Medical School research on growth factors suggests that the
first few feedings of colostrum and early breast milk may contain specific
growth-inducing hormones that play a major role in stimulating the maturation
of the intestines of the newborn.  The result is improved food absorption and
protection against allergies, infections, and serious intestinal disorders."
 
Note:  For more information about breastfeeding, contact La Leche League
International.  They have a tremendous support system for nursing moms, as
well as a professional advisory board that reviews breastfeeding research and
offers support to medical professionals.  They have a Web page, or call
1-800--LA-LECHE.