Vaccinations cleared in babies’ celiac “epidemic”

A surge in celiac disease cases among babies and toddlers in Sweden was not related to childhood vaccinations, a new study finds. Celiac disease is a digestive disorder caused by an abnormal immune response to gluten, a protein in wheat, rye and barley. The disease damages structures in the lining of the small intestine, which then interferes with the body’s absorption of nutrients. Particular gene variants may make people susceptible to celiac disease. But researchers are still studying the environmental factors that influence whether certain people develop the disorder, while others do not. Between 1984 and 1996, Sweden saw an “epidemic” of celiac disease among children younger than two – a sudden four-fold increase in the normal rate of the disorder. Overall, celiac disease is thought to affect about one percent of the population. The Swedish epidemic ended just as abruptly. And since then, researchers have been trying to figure out why. In theory, infant...