Higher gluten intake during the first five years of life appears to be associated with an increased risk of coeliac disease in genetically predisposed children, according to findings from the TEDDY study group.

For their analysis, the international group of researchers used data from 6605 genetically at-risk children in the Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) prospective birth cohort study.

They assessed the link between gluten intake in the first five years of life and coeliac disease autoimmunity, as determined by positive tissue transglutaminase (tTG) autoantibodies in two consecutive serum samples — or coeliac disease diagnosed by a positive intestinal biopsy or, in the absence of a biopsy, an average tTG autoantibody level of 100 units or more.

Results show the following: