SYNOPSIS
This is a study of the families of 50 children with coeliac disease. A number of genetic and acquired factors of possible importance in the etiology of coeliac disease were observed. 2 siblings were found to have biopsy‐proven coeliac disease and in 3 mothers a clinical diagnosis of coeliac disease had been made, i.e. in 5 (2.4%) of 210 first degree relatives a diagnosis of coeliac disease had been made.
The mean age of introduction of gluten into the diet was identical (3.2 months) for both the coeliac children and their non‐coeliac siblings.