Exposing babies to wheat very early may prevent celiac disease: Study

Tuesday, September 29, 2020 (HealthDay News)-If an infant is exposed to gluten as early as 4 months of age, the childhood risk of developing an allergic / autoimmune disease known as celiac disease may be eliminated. A new study in the UK suggests that it is sexual.

This observation is based on a study of 1,300 babies. Half were exposed to solid foods containing wheat protein at an age that was inconsistent with current breastfeeding guidelines. None of the people who were there developed celiac disease.

“That was a surprise,” said research author Dr. Gideon Luck. “But if this study is correct, it shows that a significant amount of wheat needs to be introduced into the baby’s diet at 4 months of age to prevent the development of celiac disease.”

But this finding is not the last word on the subject, warned Luck, a professor of pediatric allergy and immunology at King’s College London.

“This is one study with a relatively small number of patients,” he said. “Therefore, it cannot be considered definitive and clearly requires further research and investigation.”

Celiac disease is an inflammatory condition in which the small intestine is damaged when gluten is ingested. Absorption of nutrients can be inadequate.

“In a sense, it’s also found in barley and rye, but it’s an allergic disease because it’s caused by eating gluten, the main ingredient in wheat,” Luck said. “And otherwise, it is an autoimmune disease in that the body initiates an immune response that is directed to the lining of the small intestine.”

He added that about 1% of the population is affected. In children, celiac disease remains undiagnosed for years and can lead to dysgenesis and malnutrition. In adults, it can cause bone thinning, malaise, and, rarely, colon cancer.

Patients with celiac disease can be treated by avoiding gluten altogether. However, there is no known way to prevent the development of celiac disease.Under current guidelines, the risk of celiac disease is Absent It is affected by the age at which it was first exposed to gluten.

However, Lack and his colleagues tested that wisdom during an extensive study that investigated the overall risk of food allergies, not specifically celiac disease.

The team focused on 1,300 English and Welsh babies enrolled in food research between 2009 and 2012.

All were completely breast-fed until 13 weeks of age. After that, half continued to be breast-fed until the sixth month. The other half were also exposed to foods that could cause allergies.

These foods included milk, eggs, peanuts, sesame seeds, cod fish and wheat. (The team aimed to contain about 4 grams of wheat protein per week, which contains about 3 grams of gluten.)

By the age of three, seven cases of celiac disease had occurred in the breastfeeding group, zero In a group that was exposed to wheat early.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the UK Government all recommend that parents breastfeed for only six months to avoid giving their babies additional food or liquid unless medically recommended. .. The CDC states that this “provides ideal nutrition for children and supports their growth and development.”

Lona Sandon is the Program Director of the Department of Clinical Nutrition at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and reviewed the study. She said that if the findings were maintained, major changes could occur.

“This, like pediatricians, obstetricians and gynecologists, nutritionists, and doctors’ assistants, has been giving false advice to parents for years with the message of breastfeeding and the limited introduction of regular foods. It’s one of the reminiscent studies. Six months ago. “

She emphasized that breastfeeding is an important means of providing “immunity-enhancing factors.” But infancy is also the time when children “form and learn to coexist with other foreign substances such as bacteria, viruses, and proteins found in foods,” including wheat gluten.

“By not exposing babies to common allergens in foods early, it is theoretically possible that the immune system is not robust enough to process these foods,” Sandon said. It was.

But she said it was too early to change the practice. Sandon needs more research, adding that “changing advice based on one study is always a bit dangerous.”

Survey results published online on September 28th JAMA Pediatrics..

For more information

For more information about celiac disease, Celiac Disease Foundation..