The Doctor Gluten Project

"We have a 3-month-old baby with gastric reflux that we have been having trouble getting under control. I have recently taken gluten out of my diet and it seems to have made a big difference.  Is there a test that would confirm that this is right?" Kindest regards, Sarah.

I reply:

This is a great question, but my answer has to be vague.

Lots of breast-feeding mothers who eliminate gluten from their diets report a benefit for their child's gastric reflux. However, there have not been any formal studies of this kind.

With dairy, it is clear that about a third of babies respond to mum going dairy free.  It is likely that the same holds true for gluten.

Again, there is not any data on tests.  However, I suspect that the IgG-gliadin antibody (for mum and child) might give some clues.

My advice is to stay gluten-free and enjoy your baby.  When it comes to weaning, keep your child gluten-free for at least 1 year , and maybe 2 or 3 years old.

 I hope that this helps. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.