Asperger Syndrome is associated with gluten intolerance and brain development problems in the womb.

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Birth Defect : a physical or biochemical defect (...) that is present at birth and may be inherited or environmentally induced. Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, 2002

Celiac Disease and Birth Defects
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Contents:
Birth Defects Associated with Celiac Disease:
· Neural Tube Defects
· Heart defects and Heart Autoimmunity
· Brain/Developmental Disorders
· Allergies

See also: Links to Neurological Studies, other Research Articles, and Celiac Web Sites

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This page provides summaries and links to studies the association of Celiac Disease with some birth defects and congenital conditions. Another page on this site provides summaries and links to studies about Celaic Disease, Fertility and Miscariage. There are many studies available, please consider those offered here as only a starting point.

Summary
It is recognized that untreated Celiac women have higher risk of birth defects in their pregnancies, and studies reveal that the observed birth defects can be prevented with the gluten free diet therapy. How much higher? In the studies referenced below, seems to be several times higher. How much prevention? It seems that the excessive risks due to untreated Celiac Disease are effectively eliminated by treatment of Celiac Disease through diet.

In many gluten sensitive women, obvious symptoms of Celiac Disease may only appear “temporarily” (if at all) during pregnancy. So, it is no surprise to be able to find reports of women who are diagnosed with Celiac Disease only after having a pregnancy that resulted in spina bifida, meningomyelocele, or miscarriage.

But two things related to this subject are now unquestionable: First, minor to severe folate deficiency is a common result of common Celiac Disease. Second, folate deficiency is a major cause of neural tube defects. Common results of neural tube defects are miscarriage, spina bifida, anencephaly, and meningomyelocele.

A number of Developmental Disorders are associated with gluten sensitivity. Some conditions seem to relate to the child’s reactions to food and would be considered as an inherited condition. But other conditions seem to relate to subtle brain injuries suffered while subject to the mother’s nutritional deficiencies and imbalanced immune system as caused by gluten sensitivity. These could be considered “birth defects” since they are present at birth, but may not be noticed for months or years. (Some argue these aren’t necessarily “defects” considering the contributions some “sufferers” of such conditions as ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, and Autism have made to humanity.)

Given that if there is never gluten in the diet of a person with the genes for gluten sensitivity, then those genes seem to provide extra protection against a common virus. Is this really a defect? So, one may question which is the real defect, the genes for gluten sensitivity or an otherwise nutritionally deficient diet of wheat?

Birth Defects Associated with Celiac Disease:
These are some of the birth defects and associated with pregnancies and infants of untreated Celiac women:
Neural Tube Defects
Heart defects and Heart Autoimmunity
Brain/Developmental Disorders
Allergies

Neural Tube Defects
See also:
Subdivisions of the Neural Tube
Development and Differentiation of the Neural Tube
An important defect associated with untreated maternal Celiac Disease is failure of the Neural Tube to fully develop. The result may be a mild as a dimple over the tailbone or a severe as a completely missing brain. Neural tube defects are caused by folate deficiency, and folate deficiency is a common effect of Celiac Disease.

It is important to note that these neural tube defects as far as they relate to gluten happen only when a mother is gluten sensitive and eats gluten.

Summary of some Neural Tube Defects associated with untreated maternal Celiac Disease
Condition Name
Description
Outcomes
Pilonidal Cyst
Dimple or cyst in skin near tail bone
Ranges from a dimple over the tailbone to adult infections and lower back pain
Spina Bifida
Incomplete closure of the spine
Ranges from an odd dimple or fold to exposed spine. May result in varying degrees of lower body paralysis.
Congenital Hydrocephalus
Fluid on the brain
Miscarriage and stillbirth are possible. Surgery after live birth may prevent disability.
Meningomyelocele
Protrusion of the spinal membranes and spinal cord outside of the body.
Miscarriage and stillbirth are possible and common.
Anencephaly
Most of the brain and spinal cord are missing.
Miscarriage and stillbirth are possible and common.

Since the optic nerves, retinas, and olfactory nerves also form from the neural tube, abnormalities in these senses may also be related to folate and maternal gluten sensitivity.

Heart defects and Heart Autoimmunity
Heart defects and autoimmune myocarditis in fetuses and newborns has also been associated with Celiac Disease in the mother, but more literature is available linking maternal Lupus with infant heart defects. However, Celiac Disease can easily be and often is a misdiagnosed as lupus (see Gluten Sensitivity Masquerading as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus). Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity may generally underlie of accompany many cases of SLE.

Brain/Developmental Disorders
Downs Syndrome is associated with maternal folate dificiencty
Asperger Syndrome is associated with gluten intolerance and brain development problems in the womb. But, unlike Autism in which the patient’s own food intolerances play a large role, Asperger Syndrome may be largely affected by the mother’s food intolerances during pregnancy. Much the same may be said of ADHD, which itself may generally be the result of the mothers untreated food sensitivities and aggravated by the child’s food sensitivities. More information with respect to gluten and developmental disorders is available though the Developmental Disorders page.