UK Medicines Information
Association between maternal gluten intake and type 1 diabetes in offspring: national prospective cohort study in Denmark
Information type:
Other primary research
Source:
British Medical Journal
Specialities:
Diabetes | Nutritional and metabolic disorders
Summary
Analysis of 67 565 pregnancies (63,529 women) found high gluten intake by mothers during pregnancy could increase the risk of their children developing type 1 diabetes [HR 1.31 (95% CI, 1.001-1.72) per 10g/day increase of gluten]. These findings require confirmation.
UKMi comment
According to an editorial, three points are worth considering when evaluating these findings:
• Is high intake of gluten associated with an unhealthy diet or other dietary characteristics that could possibly predispose individuals to type 1 diabetes?
• Gluten comes from certain grains, so could there be something else in these grains responsible for the association?
• Mothers with high gluten intake might provide a high gluten diet to their children, and importantly, gluten proteins (gliadin) are passed from the mother to the infant through breast milk. So infants could be exposed to gluten immediately after birth through lactation.
It notes this is the first study to suggest a clear dose-dependent association between maternal gluten intake and risk of type 1 diabetes. If confirmed, the findings could help resolve inconsistencies in the existing literature. It adds that given a causal association between maternal gluten intake and type 1 diabetes in children has not yet been established, it is too early to change dietary recommendations on gluten intake in pregnancy. However, there should be awareness of the possibility that consuming large amounts of gluten might be harmful, and that further studies are needed to confirm or rule out these findings, and to explore possible underlying mechanisms.
Related links:
Editorial