He gluten It is a protein complex that is found in wheat, rye, barley and oatmeal flour and therefore in various foods of habitual consumption.
Celiac disease is the disease caused by gluten. In case of intolerance, the intestine undergoes an inflammatory immune reaction that affects the correct absorption of food. It has an incidence of 1 in 1,000 children and is inherited although family history is not always found.
When and how to introduce gluten into the diet It is a difficult question to answer because the recommendations regarding food to prevent or prevent celiac disease have varied over the years thanks to new studies. However, we will try to explain what the current situation is:
Breastfeeding protects against celiac disease
There has been a reduction in the risk of disease onset at two years of age of 40% in those babies who drank breast milk at the time of introducing gluten into the diet. The effect is even more pronounced in those who continue to be breastfed after the introduction of gluten into food.
The causes of this incredible protection seem to be that, on the one hand, breastfeeding limits the actual amounts of gluten received and, on the other, protects against intestinal infections. Infections can increase the intestinal permeability of the infant and favor the passage of gluten.
It has also been suggested that the immunomodulatory effect of breast milk induces immune tolerance to gluten.
Current Recommendations
Everything commented on the protection that breastfeeding carries out against celiac disease serves to explain that the current recommendations are:
• Enter gluten before seven months in a very small amount during the first weeks.
In practice it would be to give the child a crust of bread to nibble on, a teaspoon of marigold pasta soup (drained, without water) or if you take dried cereal powder (the industrial ones) it would be to make gluten-free porridge by adding a tablespoon of cereals with gluten a day.
I want to make a subsection and that is that pasta soup, according to the brand, carries egg. Some cookies or pastries can also take it as an ingredient. The egg is better to offer from 12 months, so we must look at the labels to buy food that does not carry it.
• Continue the breastfeeding for at least one month after the introduction of gluten.
The introduction at 6-7 months of age is recommended, in part, for breastfeeding mothers to "ride" the gluten with breast milk. If a mother had planned to stop breastfeeding at six months, it is recommended to wait another month or two to protect the baby from intolerance.
The introduction of gluten at 7 or more months, as previously recommended, compared to the 5 or 6 that some studies recommend, is associated with a slightly lower incidence of celiac disease, however it is not significant and away from the recommendation of 6- 7 months could mean a smaller number of infants who take both gluten and breast milk.
