Gluten Consumption During Pregnancy Possibly Tied to T1 Diabetes in Children

Pregnant women who consume gluten may be more likely to have babies who develop type 1 diabetes (T1), but the evidence is not strong enough to warrant a dietary warning, according to a new study. 

The study included 67,565 pregnancies (63,529 women). Participants reported their consumption of food containing gluten using a 350 item food frequency questionnaire at their 25th week of pregnancy. On average, gluten consumption was 13.0 g/day, ranging from less than 7 g/day to more than 20 g/day. T1 diabetes was present in 0.37% (n = 247) of children at a mean follow-up of 15.6 years. The risk for T1 diabetes was higher among children whose mothers consumed more gluten during pregnancy (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.31 [95% confidence interval 1.001 to 1.72] per 10 g/day increase of gluten). Mothers whose diets included the most gluten versus those who consumed the least ( ≥ 20 g/day vs. < 7 g/day) were at a twofold risk of having offspring who would eventually develop T1 diabetes (adjusted HR, 2.00 [95% confidence interval 1.02 to 4.00]). 

BMJ today: high gluten intake by mothers during pregnancy doubles risk of child developing type 1 diabetes. I have been saying for decades that anyone with chronic disease should try avoiding all gluten sources for 4 weeks to see how much it helps.

— Joseph Pizzorno (@drpizzorno) September 19, 2018

The findings of the national prospective cohort study were published in The BMJ. 

One limitation of the study, researchers noted, is the low number of children who developed T1 diabetes. They also noted that certain confounding factors cannot be adjusted for in observational studies. Additionally, mothers were self-reporting their gluten intake, which leaves room for uncertainty. Another limitation is that the authors did not know how much gluten the mothers were giving their babies. “This factor could be important for type 1 diabetes development because the amount, timing, and mode of gluten introduction all seem to affect disease development,” the researchers said. 

An association of double – now we’re into Bradford Hill territory. Highest gluten intake in pregnancy associated with double the risk of a child with T1 diabetes. 63,500 women studied. https://t.co/oVKFVUN0zV

— Dr Zoe Harcombe, PhD (@zoeharcombe) September 20, 2018

The study authors concluded, “High gluten intake by mothers during pregnancy could increase the risk of their children developing type 1 diabetes. However, confirmation of these findings are warranted, preferably in an intervention setting.” 

Source: The BMJ