Breastfeeding may protect children against gluten intolerance, known as celiac disease (CD), according to a review article published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
"CD is a disorder of small bowel malabsorption. It is characterized by mucosal inflammation, villous atrophy, and crypt hyperplasia, which occur upon exposure to gluten, and clinical and histological improvement with withdrawal of gluten from the diet," according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
CD, also known as celiac sprue, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, non-tropical sprue, among others, is believed to result from the activation of both a cell-mediated (T-cell) and humoral (B-cell) immune response upon exposure to glutens (prolamins and glutenins) found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats, in a genetically susceptible person, according to the AHRQ.
For the study, researchers reviewed six out of 15 studies published between 1996 and 2004. The six selected studies matched the criteria set by the researchers.
The analysis of more than 900 children with CD and almost 3,500 healthy children showed the duration of breastfeeding was inversely associated with the risk of gluten intolerance. The longer a child was breastfed; the lower was his risk of the condition.
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