News story - breast feeding may ward off Celiac Disease

cruelshoes · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 2228 Location: Washington State

Don't know if this is the right place for this story, but here it is anyway...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10050769/

LONDON - Mothers who breast-feed their children may help to protect them from developing celiac disease, an intolerance to a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, scientists said on Tuesday.

In a review of 15 studies, they found that the longer children are breast fed the less likely they are to suffer from the illness.

“Breast feeding may offer protection against the development of celiac disease,” said Dr Tony Akobeng of the Central Manchester Children’s University Hospital in England.

But he and his team said in a report published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood they are not sure whether breast feeding delays the onset of symptoms of the illness or provides permanent protection against it.

People who suffer from celiac disease have an intolerance to gluten and are unable to eat wheat, barley and rye products. It is a genetic disease in which the immune system damages the small intestine when gluten is eaten.

The review, which involved more than 4,000 children, showed that if babies were breast-fed when they were introduced to solid foods containing gluten, it cut their risk of suffering from the illness by 52 percent compared to other youngsters.

The researchers said they are not sure how breast feeding protects a child from the illness. They suspect it could reduce their exposure to gluten or curb the immune system’s response to the protein.

Celiac disease can produce a variety of symptoms including weight loss, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle cramps and abdominal pain and bloating. The only treatment is to eat a gluten-free diet.
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-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
9-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters have negative bloodwork - so far!

A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt

sari · Joined: 11 Jul 2006 Posts: 107

That's interesting.

My MIL breastfed my DH for the first 18 months of his life. She is a Coeliac, but she didn't know it at the time. My DH ended up having Coeliac Disease though.

I plan to breastfeed any children my husband and I have, to give them a decent amount of protection.
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~*~Sari~*~

mrsppmrxky · Joined: 09 Oct 2004 Posts: 1408 Location: GF Kitchen

Interesting..........my 'runt' of the litter was the one that I breastfed for the longest and she has CD..........

Of course we didn't know then what we know now, but she didn't get formula.
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Fidissimus · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 1440 Location: Portland, OR.

I was breast fed until I was 10 months old... my symptoms came on strong when I was 25 or 26. Just curious if other celiacs here were breast fed and how long before they started to display their symptoms?
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Cheers!
Jenn

GF BD: Feb. 2001
Free of wheat, barley, rye, oats, rice, dairy, eggs, almonds, pineapple and brewers yeast.
http://graindamaged.blogspot.com/

Jam76 · Joined: 25 Sep 2006 Posts: 11

I was BFed for 12m and I developed symptoms at the end of my 29th year (after the last of my 3 BFed babies weaned himself!) Very Happy

jayhawkmom · Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 851 Location: Midwest, USA

My children are too young to know any of the answers....but I will say, the one that I DID breastfeed is the one who's the most allergic of the bunch. =(

I realize that has nothing to do with Celiac.... but, I find it very ironic.

WestWalker · Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 305 Location: West Coast

Aaah but this study leaves out an important piece discussed at the Celiac Conference. Not only do you have to breast feed but introduce gluten into the child's diet slowly within the first six months of birth. Both in combination according to the studies they reported at Stanford do the trick (not just breast feeding).

Did you get to hear that discussion Kris? Very Happy

jayhawkmom · Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 851 Location: Midwest, USA

Linda · Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:36 am Post subject:

I was bottle fed...I don't have CD (yet?). My oldest son, Walker, was breastfed with the occasional bottle until 8 months, barley and oatmeal cereal introduced probably around 5 months old. Started on rice cereal at 4 months, so 5 would do it for the barley cereal, I imagine. He doesn't have CD (yet).
Ty, who does have CD, was breastfed (with an occasional bottle) until about 5 1/2 months or so, barley cereal introduced at about 5 months old.
I suppose my husband was bottle fed also because unless you were a hippie or "granola", I think that was the thing to do mid-sixties. He doesn't have CD either.
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Mom of Ty (he's eight) who was diagnosed by bloodwork June 2005, biopsy August 11, 2005, notified on & started GF August 18, 2005

Grace · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 1

Breastfed my son until 3. He didn't start ingesting wheat until after his 1st birthday. Almost immediately had symptoms. Diagnosed at 18 months.

So I don't know what I think about that study.

Be aware that if you have a gluten intolerant baby, you must be on the celiac diet while breastfeeding!

bookworm87 · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 6

Since I am a celiac, I have no choice but to be on a gluten free diet while breastfeeding, but my sister is unsure of what she should do. Our family and her husband's have a long history of food allergies, and she was told she should eliminate gluten, peanuts, and milk from her diet while she is breastfeeding, and carrying, to reduce the risk of her child developing the allergy-even though she has never shown symptoms herself-. Do you think there is any relevance in this?