By Amy Adams, MS

Reviewed By Jeremy Walston, MD
Last Updated September 20, 2000

If you or someone in your family has Type 1 diabetes, you may be concerned about children or family members developing the disease. At this time, the medical community has no established procedure for screening at-risk children or recommendations for preventing Type 1 diabetes. However, children who are considered to be at risk can enter medical studies for diabetes prevention. These studies may reveal new approaches to preventing or delaying diabetes.

Screening

If a child has a parent or sibling with Type 1 diabetes, they are at about 15 times higher risk than the general population for developing the disease. There are two tests a doctor can use to find out if a child has inherited a high risk for diabetes. However, because knowing a child's risk does not help doctors prevent the disease, the American Diabetes Association only recommends using these tests in children who have a parent or sibling with diabetes and who are referred to a scientific study that requires the information.

These tests are:

• HLA typing: Certain genes in the HLA (human leukocyte antigen) region of the genome can increase a person's risk for developing diabetes. These genes make proteins that are located on the outside of some immune cells. Doctors can screen a child's immune cells to determine which form of the HLA proteins are present. If the child has high-risk forms of the protein — called DR3 and DR4 — that child has a higher than average risk of developing Type 1 diabetes.
• Antibody screening: In Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks insulin-producing pancreas cells. When the immune cells attack the pancreas, they make proteins called antibodies that are designed to fight against pancreas tissue. These antibodies are present as much as eight years before the onset of diabetes. If doctors find these antibodies, the child is at higher risk for developing diabetes than the general population.

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Prevention

Although there is no way to prevent Type 1 diabetes, there are certain steps you can take to lower a child's risk. In Caucasian populations, children who develop diabetes are more likely to have had cow's milk as an infant, and children who do not develop diabetes are more likely to have been exclusively breast fed. Therefore, some doctors recommend breast feeding children who have parents or siblings with diabetes, and limiting the child's intake of cow's milk. (For more information about how to prevent and treat Type 1 diabetes, see Related News below.)

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Participate in Research

Participating in research studies gives you the chance to try new approaches to both screening and prevention. In addition, you help others by furthering the medical and scientific communities' understanding of Type 1 diabetes.

More on Participating in Research Trials

You can learn more about opportunities for research in Type 1 diabetes by becoming a member of the Genetic Health community. In addition to research opportunities, we provide you with easily digestible summaries of the latest research and medical developments, tailored to convey the news that's pertinent to you and your family.

Tour Genetic Health Member Services

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Related News

In order to view these articles you will need to have a MyGeneticHealth account. If you are not already a member, selecting the article will automatically take you to a page where you can sign up. New ways to screen, control, cure diabetes on horizon

References

American Diabetes Association (1999). Clinical Practice Recommendations 1999. Diabetes Care (Suppl. 1), 22, S1-S114.

Karjalainen, J., Martin, J. M., et al. (1992). A bovine albumin peptide as a possible trigger of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med, 327, 302-307.

Verge, C. F., Howard, N. J., et al. (1994). Environmental factors in childhood IDDM. A population-based, case- control study. Diabetes Care, 17, 1381-1389.