Celiac Disease New Study

Previous studies proved that if a 4-6 month old baby is given gluten, it can reduce the risks of developing the celiac disease. But the New England Journal of Medicine has published a new study showing that the timing exposure to gluten and the duration of breast-feeding is not relevant and does not affect in any ways the development of celiac disease in children.

Ludvigsson, MD at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics said that the latest discovery will affect the doctors’ recommendation of gluten to small babies. Peter H. R Green, MD at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons agrees, saying that this doesn’t affect the babies.

The new Celiac disease study undermines the importance that breast feeding has on a child’s health as this can lower the risk of developing the celiac disease.

For the new study, scientists have used data and reviewed samples from children who have a high risk of developing celiac disease. Te researchers have used in their study children from Europe and Israel. These children were chose for the study because they are considered to have a high risk of developing celiac disease due to the fact that these children have at least a first degree relative suffering from this disease.

The researchers gave the children gluten when they were 4 months old. This lasted for 2 months. There were two groups of children: one group received 200 mg of vital wheat gluten in combination with 1.8g of lactose. The other group of children received the placebo treatment. The study lasted for three years. After three years it was revealed that 52 out of 475 children from the group who were given gluten showed symptoms of the celiac disease. The other group, the one given the placebo treatment had 53 out 469 children with signs of celiac disease.

The purpose of the study was to prove that introducing gluten to children who are at risk of developing celiac disease does not guarantee it will decrease the risks of developing the disease.

What are your thought on the latest celiac disease study? Leave your comments in the section below.

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Christina Langfold

Remember that weird girl in school who never quite managed to fit in? Who was always silent and strange? That was me during my entire teenage life. A few years after finishing college (with a degree in arts) I decided that the best way to become more sociable, while also feeling safe, is to test my people skills online.