While the cause of celiac disease remains unclear, lead author Anneli Ivarsson, of Umea University in Sweden, and colleagues point out that the dietary patterns of infants might influence the body's immune response, resulting in tolerance or intolerance of a particular food.

To investigate, the team of researchers evaluated breast-feeding patterns and the way food was introduced to 627 children with celiac disease and 1254 healthy children.

"A major finding of this study was the lower risk of celiac disease in infants who were still being breast-fed than in infants who had discontinued breast-feeding at the time when gluten-containing foods were introduced into the diet," Dr. Ivarsson and colleagues write in the May issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

According to the report, the risk of celiac disease was reduced by about 40% in children 2 years of age or younger if they were still being breast-fed when dietary gluten was introduced. "This effect was even more pronounced in infants who continued to be breast-fed after dietary gluten was introduced," the authors state.

Moreover, the risk for celiac disease appeared to be greater when gluten-based foods were introduced into an infant's diet in large amounts, they add.

"It is tempting to speculate that this dietary pattern also reduces the lifetime risk of celiac disease; however, further studies are needed to confirm this notion," Dr. Ivarsson's team concludes.

Am J Clin Nutr 2002;75:914-921.