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There have been a couple of questions today about introducing gluten to
babies and the study referred to was quoted incorrectly.  What these
researchers actually found was the lowest risk of developing CD when
gluten-containing grains were introduced between 4 - 6 months.  I heard
the lead researcher on this article speak.  It is easy to understand why
there might be an increased risk of developing CD if gluten is introduced
before 4 months, considering immature immune system, digestive system,
etc.   It is puzzling as to why the risk would be greater if these grains
were not introduced until after 6 months.  Her hypothesis involved a
dosage effect.  When introducing foods to a 4 - 6 month old, the amount
they are likely to consume is quite small.  By 7 months or later, babies
are generally eating bigger quantities, and so they are likely to get a
bigger load of gluten if it is introduced then, perhaps being behind the
increased risk of developing CD when gluten introduction is delayed til
after 6 months.

Below, I have attached a summary article about this study that was
written for the Denver Metro CSA newsletter.
Diane
Denver


Infant Feeding & Celiac Disease
 Does it matter when gluten is introduced in a baby's diet?
 This month we report on a study investigating this question done by Dr.
Hoffenberg (of the University of Colorado, Denver School of Medicine and
The Children’s Hospital) and his colleagues.  This study was an offshoot
of the DAISY study, investigating the development of diabetes in
children.  Children enrolled in this study had high risk genes for either
Type 1 Diabetes and /or Celiac Disease.  1560 children participated over
the 10 years of this study.  Most were followed from birth, although 253
were enrolled at ages 2 - 3.
 Every 3 months, up to the child's age of 15 months, the parents were
interviewed about the child's diet.  In particular, the researchers were
interested in when new foods were introduced.  For children who were
enrolled at older ages, parents filled out a questionnaire noting when
different foods were first introduced.  All children were then followed
with regular blood work (at 9, 12, and 15 months, and yearly thereafter),
looking for Tissue Transglutaminase (tTg) antibodies.  A child was
considered to have Celiac Disease if he/she had a positive tTg test on
two separate occasions, or one positive test plus positive results upon
intestinal biopsy.  51 children developed CD over the course of this
study.  The average age of diagnosis was 4.7 years.  The earliest age at
which a positive tTg antibody was seen was 2 years old.
 Results showed that children exposed to wheat, barley or rye in the
first 3 months of life had a five-fold increased risk of developing CD as
compared to those first exposed between 4 - 6 months.  Children who were
not exposed to wheat, barley or rye until 7 months or later had a slight
increased risk of developing CD as compared to those first exposed at 4 -
6 months.  They found no association between the timing of introduction
of rice or oats and the development of CD.
 One question this study did not answer was if all high risk children
would eventually develop CD.  If this were the case, then perhaps
introducing wheat, barley or rye at 4 -6 months may simply delay the
onset of CD, not prevent it.
 Norris, J, et. al., JAMA 293(19), May 18, 2005, 2343 – 2350.  Risk of
Celiac Disease Autoimmunity and Timing of Gluten Introduction in the Diet
of Infants at Increased Risk of Disease

* Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *