Celiac disease is related to the season of birth
"Gluten-free" is a buzzword these days. But even as awareness of celiac disease grows, its cause remains unclear. One hypothesis is that the season in which a person is born may influence the development of this digestive disorder.
Some researchers suspect that those born in the spring and summer are more susceptible to the disease, which is triggered by gluten in wheat, barley and rye.
Babies usually begin eating foods containing gluten around six months, so those born in the warmer months would initially be exposed to gluten in the winter, when infections like cold and flu are common. Could early exposure to viruses play a role in the autoimmune response to gluten?
For now that remains speculation. But at least three studies have backed the seasonal hypothesis. The most recent, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, looked at nearly 2,000 people with celiac disease. The researchers, at the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, concluded that more of the patients were born in the spring than in any other season.
Another study, carried out in Sweden, looked at 2,151 children with the condition. For those younger than two at diagnosis, the scientists found, "the risk for celiac disease was significantly higher if born during the summer as compared with the winter" — particularly among boys, a pattern they could not explain.
They added that this would not be the first autoimmune disorder in which viruses may play a role. A number of studies suggest that in genetically susceptible people, Type 1 diabetes may be triggered by viral infections.
The verdict
Some studies suggest that birth season influences development of celiac disease.
Anahad O'connor