<<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.