Children of Parents with Celiac Disease Run Higher Neonatal Risk

Gut 2001;49:169-175.

Celiac.com 08/03/2001 - According to a study published in the August issue of Gut, treated celiac disease in either the mother or the father can still have a negative effect on their newborn babies. The study shows that infants run a five times greater risk of low birth weight and a three times greater risk of prematurity if the father has celiac disease. Interestingly, fathers with celiac disease were four times more likely to have babies with low birth weight than fathers who had other autoimmune diseases. In line with past studies, mothers with celiac disease were six times more likely to have babies with low birth weight. The study did not find low birth weight associated with people who had relatives with celiac disease but did not have it themselves. With the exception of diabetes, infants whose parents have celiac disease have the highest outcome of low birth weight than all other autoimmune diseases.