<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

A poster recently asked about babies ingesting gluten to early as opposed to
after about a year.  Dr. Stefano Guandalini at the June GIG conference gave
us the following notes. 

Celiac Disease in Children
        There is no reason to screen babies for Celiac Disease.  Babies must
have been ingesting gluten into their systems for six to nine months before
an autoimmune response can develop. 
        The effect of timing of gluten ingestion has been studied at the
University of Colorado. This new study, published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association, suggests that children are less likely to
develop Celiac Disease if they were introduced to gluten-containing cereals
between 4-6 months of age.  Children exposed to gluten in the first 3 months
had a 5-fold increased risk when compared to the 4-6-month group.  The
follow-up on the patients was only 4.8 years.  
        Dr. Guandalini also said that a small amount of gliadin protein does
pass through breast milk.  However, this condition may be okay; it may
induce some tolerance.  Breast feeding seems to be protective for Celiac
Disease.
 

Janet Rinehart, Chairman
Houston Celiac Support Group
www.houstonceliacs.org
281-679-7608
 

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