Breastfeeding and coeliac disease

If you were breastfed as a baby you may be less likely to develop coeliac disease, according to a new study.

People who suffer from coeliac disease cannot tolerate gluten in their diet but a new study suggests people who were breastfed as babies seem less likely to develop the condition. Researchers at Booth Hall Children’s Hospital in the UK reviewed six studies published between 1966 and 2004 and found an association between increasing duration of breastfeeding and a decreased risk of coeliac disease in all studies, except for one minor study.

The analysis also demonstrated a 52% lower risk of coeliac disease among people who were breastfed at a time when gluten was introduced into their diet.

It was not clear from the studies whether the longer duration of breastfeeding gave permanent protection against coeliac disease or whether it delayed the onset of symptoms.

Source: Archives of Diseases in Childhood, January 2006, 91:39-43