Diet influences onset of coeliac disease in infants

Monday, 29 November 2010 11:39

Researchers in Serbia retrospectively analysed the medical records of infants with diagnosed coeliac disease to investigate whether duration of breastfeeding and timing of gluten introduction impacted on the age at diagnosis and severity of the disease. The 89 infants had mean age at diagnosis of 14.2 months.

Results showed longer breastfeeding and continuation of breastfeeding after gluten was introduced to the infants’ diet delayed the onset of the condition and significantly reduced the risk that coeliac disease would develop in the first year of life. There were no significant differences in age at diagnosis between infants who had started consuming gluten before the fourth month and those who had started between the fourth and sixth month. Neither breastfeeding nor timing of gluten introduction appeared to impact on the severity of the disease.

Reference: Radlovic et al. 2010 Croatian Medical Journal. Vol. 51(5) pp. 417-22.