Gluten: babies who eat it early are not more intolerant

The medical community is struggling to agree on when gluten can be introduced into the diet of toddlers to limit the risk of intolerance to this protein, found in various grains. A study published in Pediatrics sheds new light: there is no link between the introductory period and the risk of developing celiac disease.

The Swedes introduce gluten on average 22 weeks after birth, the Finns at 26 weeks. In Germany and the United States, late introduction is preferred: it begins on average at 30 weeks. In these four countries, more than 6,400 children with diabetes were followed in the TEDDY (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young) study. All had a genetic predisposition to celiac disease.

Swedes more at risk

At the age of 5 years, 773 children (12%) are positive for the celiac disease marker (anti-transglutaminase antibody, tTGA) and 307 have developed this disease (4%). “There is remarkable variation in when cereals containing gluten are introduced into children’s diets, and also differences in the risk of developing celiac disease between countries,” admit the study’s authors. “However, the period of introduction of gluten is not an independent risk factor for the development of celiac disease at 5 years. These results therefore contradict the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), which advises introducing gluten between 4 and 6 months.

This work also sheds light on specific risk factors. Swedish children, for example, are the most at risk of developing celiac disease. “We speculate that the increased risk of celiac disease in Swedish children compared to other children may be caused by increased gluten intake at the time of weaning, although this assumption needs to be further explored in future studies,” the researchers say. Girls are also at greater risk of intolerance than boys, as is having a family member with celiac disease.