The study also showed a higher risk among children with infection.
It has also been found that fewer breast-fed children develop Celiac disease, and, if they do, at a later age. The risk of developing Celiac disease decreased by 63% for children breast-fed for more than 2 months as compared with children breast-fed for 2 months or less.
Breastfeeding has also been seen to have a protective effect when breast feeding was performed while gluten containing foods were introduced to the infant. The gradual or slow introduction of gluten containing foods like wheat into the diet of infants while they are still being breastfed is believed to reduce the risk of celiac disease in early childhood and probably during the subsequent childhood period.
Weaning can begin at 6 months of age, when solid foods are typically introduced. Do not give your child cow’s milk until 1 year of age. Timing of
introduction of gluten (wheat, biscuits, sooji) in infant diet is also associated with the appearance of celiac disease. In a recent study children exposed to foods containing wheat, barley, or rye (gluten-containing foods) in the first 3 months of life had a 5-fold increased risk of Celiac disease compared with children exposed to gluten-containing foods at 4 to 6 months. Additionally, large amounts of gluten at weaning are associated with an increased risk of developing celiac disease.
Another research shows that infants at “high risk” or genetically predisposed i.e have a family history, who eat nothing containing gluten until after their first year can delay the onset of Celiac disease or, better yet, prevent it entirely. The fact that there is hardly any evidence of Celiac disease in predominantly rice eating nations like Japan points towards gluten as an the environmental trigger.
Delay and gradually introduce gluten containing grains (including biscuits, cereals with gluten in the bottle) until six months to one year, while still breast feeding, and introduction of solids (weaning) without gluten containing cereals at 4 months.
Clearly, breastfeeding seems to offer protection against several infections and diseases including celiac disease.