No animal or human milk naturally contains gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. If you eat foods containing gluten, however, your breast milk can contain gluten. While experts often recommend avoiding feeding babies solid foods, including those containing gluten, before 4 to 6 months of age, it's unclear whether gluten in breast milk increases the risk of celiac disease. Also called celiac sprue, celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects one in 133 Americans, according to the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Gluten in Breast Milk
If you eat foods containing gluten, the gluten can show up in your breast milk. An Argentinian study reported in the November 1998 issue of the "Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology" found that breast milk from women who were not following a gluten-restricted diet had high levels of gliadin, a glycoprotein -- or substance containing carbohydrate and protein -- found in gluten. Whether gluten in breast milk causes problems in infants has not undergone clinical study, although anecdotal evidence exists.
Foods That Produce Gluten
Babies can have celiac disease from a very young age. Breastfeeding for at least two months can reduce the risk of developing celiac disease in infants, according to a report in the July-August 2001 "Annals Of Nutrition And Metabolism." Celiac disease is an autoimmune reaction, meaning that the immune system attacks the proteins in gluten as foreign, which causes inflammation and damage to the villi in the intestines that facilitate food absorption.
Foods That Contain Gluten
A large number of foods contain wheat, barley or rye, including beer, breads, pastas, soups, cereals, cookies, processed lunch meats and candies. If your baby has celiac disease, with symptoms of irritability, bloating, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, possible poor weight gain and abdominal pain when you eat gluten, you need to read all food labels carefully to avoid gluten.
Considerations
If you have celiac disease or if it runs in your family, watch for signs of reaction in your baby when you eat gluten-containing foods. Another potential cause for symptoms in a baby who develops gastrointestinal symptoms after eating wheat could be wheat allergy; wheat is one of the eight most common allergens, according to KidsHealth. See your doctor to help determine whether your baby has celiac disease or wheat allergy.
References
- KideHealth; Celiac Disease; Karoly Horvath, M.D.; May 2009
- University of Washington; Outcomes of Breastfeeding; Jon Ahrendsen M.D.; June 201
- "Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology"; Presence of High Levels of Non-Degraded Gliadin in Breast Milk from Healthy Mothers; F. Chirdo, et al.; November 1998
- Sure Food Living: Symptoms of Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease; Celiac Disease; Seotember 2008
- PubMedHealth; Celiac Disease - Sprue; January 2010
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