So much focus is often placed on finding gluten-free foods, but sometimes it is the other things containing gluten that often cause problems. There are of course medications and other items that contain gluten, but for those of us with young children that have Celiac, have you ever considered those baby diapers your child uses?
Do Disposable Baby Diapers Contain Gluten?
While doing some research, I noticed this post over at gluten-free Frugal where the author has contacted a few diaper companies to enquire about whether their diapers contain gluten. Here are a few of the responses from the major diaper manufacturers:
White Cloud – “Our diapers do not contain gluten.” (Actually this e-mail came from Covidien.com and I had to Google around a bit to figure out WHICH diapers they were talking about. My understanding is that this corporation makes several store-brand diapers, none of which contain gluten.)
Huggies – “Kimberly-Clark consumer products do not contain wheat, rye, barley, spelt, triticale, kamut or farina. Certain Kimberly-Clark products do contain oats. The only Kimberly-Clark products containing oats are HUGGIES® Soft Skin products.”
Click over to check out the rest of their post and see their findings!
Unless your child will be eating the diaper, it doesn’t matter whether there’s gluten in it. Gluten molecules cannot pass through skin; the molecules are too large. This is a scientifically proven fact. For more information, see:
http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/celiacdiseasefaqs/f/GlutenThruSkin.htm
That is incorrect. Gluten is a lot of bath gels, hair gels, shampoo, and conditioners. Our skin absorbs this. I am a registered dieititan dedicated to a gluten free diet. Do more research.
Hi Leslie,
I have always believed exactly what Nancy said above. In fact, I have used lotion many times that contains gluten with no ill effects and I am highly sensitive. However, those with dermatitis herpetiformis, a skin rash associated with Celiac Disease, must avoid gluten in anything that touches their skin.
Kim
This is incorrect. Some people with gluten are so sensitive they cannot even touch it without an autoimmune response
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your knowledge with us. That is great news to know that diapers will not be a concern for infants with Celiac Disease.
While I do agree that gluten isn’t necessarily absorbed, I do have problems with topical products as a celiac. I cannot use anything with gluten or I end up with dermititus herpiforma (sp) which is an issue with many celiacs. It is small blister lesions caused by the contact with gluten. I get them from shampoos and just getting wheat on me. So yes the skin products can be a problem to avoid. This is one painful issue that your baby doesn’t need.
@ Karen – Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I do know DH affects a lot of Celiacs, so this makes sense. One thing I have learned is that even for those with Celiac Disease, the symptoms vary, and what causes problems vary by individual.