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    Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Season of Birth May Influence Celiac Disease

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Celiac.com 06/10/2011 - Children born in the spring or summer seem to have higher rates of celiac disease, according to a study of Massachusetts children. This higher rate could be tied to certain seasonal and environmental factors, according to researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.

    Potential triggers for celiac disease seem to include the timing of infants' introduction to gluten and of viral infections during the first year of life.

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    The research team hypothesized that the season of a child's birth might influence rates of celiac disease, since babies commonly receive their first foods with gluten at about six months of age, which for children born in spring or summer would mean the beginning of the winter cold season.

    The research team assessed 382 patients with biopsy-confirmed celiac disease, whose age at diagnosis ranged from 11 months to 19 years.

    Among older children (ages 15 to 19), there was virtually no difference in birth season (categorized as light, meaning March to August, or dark, defining September to February).

    But the group of 317 children under 15 years old showed an significant difference. As a group, 57 percent had been born in a light season, whereas 43 percent were born during a dark season.

    Given the prevalence of celiac disease in children, the study carries potential importance for families and doctors.

    Lead researcher and clinical research fellow, Pornthep Tanpowpong, MD, MPH, said the findings might invite researchers health care professionals to rethink their recommended time frame for introducing a children to cereals and other foods that contain gluten.

    He adds that other potential causative season-of-birth factors, such as sunlight exposure and vitamin D status, also deserve investigation.

    For people born in the spring or the summer, it might be more appropriate to introduce gluten at a different point than someone born in the fall or winter, said Dr. Tanpowpong. "Although we need to further develop and test our hypothesis, we think it provides a helpful clue for ongoing efforts to prevent celiac disease."


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    Guest SandraB

    Posted

    I don't know if anyone has ever looked at the vitamin D status of pregnant women whose children go on to develop celiac disease. Obviously it would be a difficult study to do. In northern Europe March births are common amongst autistic children, and this is one of the reasons why there is a hypothesis that a lack of Vitamin D in the womb may be a factor in autism.

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    Guest Lori C.

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    My daughter is a February baby. This is interesting. I suppose it would somewhat depend on where you live as well as the seasons progress differently based on how far north or south you are, too.

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    Guest Peter

    My father was born in May, as was I. We both have celiac. This is an interesting article.

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  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


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    Celiac.com 02/20/2013 - Scientific evidence indicates that the risk of developing celiac disease cannot be explained solely by genetic factors. There is some evidence to support the idea that the season in which a child is born can influence the risk for developing celiac disease. It is known that babies born in summer months are likely to be weaned and introduced to gluten during winter, when viral infections are more frequent.
    A number of studies indicate that early viral infections can increase risk levels for celiac disease, however, earlier studies on birth season and celiac disease have been small, and their results have been contradictory.
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