Type 1 Diabetes and Children

Cause of Type 1 Diabetes

Eating too much sugar does NOT cause diabetes. 

The exact cause of diabetes is not known.

Several factors may cause Type 1 Diabetes:

Heredity

Heredity plays a role in causing Type 1 Diabetes.  Some studies suggest that the presence of certain human lymphocyte antigens (HLA) found on chromosome 6 play a role in the development. Many parents feel guilty because they believe they may have passed diabetes to their child. If a child who has a genetically identical twin develops Type 1 Diabetes, the other twin has only a 50% chance of developing it. That means there are other factors besides heredity that also contribute to the development of diabetes.

Auto-immune Conditions

Auto-immune conditions in which the body attacks part of itsself similal to the way it would attack a virus, germ, or bacteria.

Viruses

Viruses may play a role in causing the immune system to attack insulin producing cells. Some viruses that are thought to trigger the immune system attack include cosakie B, mumps, rubella, chicken pox and measles.

Unknown Environmental Factors

Since the cause of Type 1 Diabetes is not completely understood, it is possible that an unknown environmental factor may contribute to the cause of the immune system attack