Coeliac disease is triggered by an interplay of environmental and genetic factors and is one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases in children, occurring in about 1% of Europeans. Over the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in the role of the perinatal environment in coeliac disease and this review discusses the growing body of literature on coeliac disease and perinatal risk factors.
Conclusion: There is still only circumstantial evidence that the perinatal environment influences coeliac disease development. Large-scale cohort studies and emerging scientific concepts, such as epigenetics, may help us establish the role of these environmental factors.
Keywords: Autoimmune disease; Coeliac disease; Environmental factors; Genetic factors; Perinatal risk.
©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.