Mothers May Lower Child's Risk of Type 1 Diabetes
No one is more protective and loving than Moms. It turns out that Moms with Type 1 diabetes may be looking out for their kids in a way they never knew – lowering their child’s risk of developing Type 1 diabetes.
The link between diabetes and genetics has long been established. We know that having a family history of the disease increases a person’s risk of developing it. However, a new study published on July 29, 2024, in HealthDay News and presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting held in Madrid, Spain, points to the fact that mothers with Type 1 diabetes may be shielding their children from the disease by making them less susceptible to Type 1 diabetes. Read on to learn more.
What is Type 1 Diabetes? Understanding the Autoimmune Disease
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body mistakenly targets and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells created by the pancreas. Beta cells are the vehicles that allow the body’s cells to accept blood glucose and transform it into the energy needed for the proper function of organs, muscles, and the nervous system. Because the beta cells are destroyed and the body is unable to produce insulin, blood sugar gradually begins to build up to dangerous levels, and a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis is made. People with Type 1 diabetes must take supplemental insulin for the rest of their lives to control their blood sugar. Unlike Type 2 diabetes, lifestyle factors such as obesity, diet, and a lack of physical activity have no bearing on the development of Type 1 diabetes. It is simply a matter of genetics.
Genetic Risk of Type 1 Diabetes: How Family History Plays a Role
Type 1 diabetes usually occurs early in life, tending to develop in the childhood or early teenage years. There is no question that those with a family history of the disease are genetically predisposed to developing it. In fact, individuals with family members who are living with the disease are up to 15 times more likely to develop Type 1 diabetes than those without a family history.
However, new data from this recent study suggests that children with biological mothers who have Type 1 Diabetes are far less likely to develop it than if their biological father is the one with Type 1 diabetes.
How Moms with Type 1 Diabetes Might Protect Their Kids
The study compiled and analyzed data from 11,500 individuals with Type 1 diabetes, and the results were significant. The research revealed that participants currently living with Type 1 diabetes were nearly twice as likely (1.8 x) to have a father with the condition than a mother. This was true across all age groups.
The researchers also used a “genetic risk score” to further deepen their analysis. This score considered nearly 60 different genes associated with Type 1 diabetes. Surprisingly, people who had moms with Type 1 diabetes had very similar risk scores to those who had dads with the disease, which suggests that the disparity in risk is not due to any specific genes inherited from mom or dad.
Perhaps even more significant was the finding that the lower number of diabetes cases among participants with moms as the historical link to the disease only occurred if the mother developed Type 1 diabetes before pregnancy. If she developed diabetes after childbirth, no measurable reduction in the child’s risk of developing the disease was shown.
What does this mean?
Dr. Lowri Allen, the lead researcher in the study, points out, “This, coupled with the finding that inherited genetic risk of Type 1 diabetes was not different in individuals with affected mothers and fathers, suggests that exposure to Type 1 diabetes in the womb is critical.”
Dr. Allen went on to suggest that exposure to a mother’s high blood sugar levels, insulin injections, or specific antibodies associated with Type 1 diabetes might contribute to a child developing natural protection against chronic illness.
The Need for More Research on Type 1 Diabetes Protection from Moms
While this study presents some exciting new insights that may alter what was typically understood about family history and Type 1 diabetes risk, it’s also important to acknowledge that this is only one study presented at a medical forum. It has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
As with most new roads in medical care, this one begins with more questions than answers. Nevertheless, if the evidence regarding a mother’s natural ability to mitigate the risk of Type 1 diabetes in her children is further confirmed – and the reasons why it happens better understood – it could lead to breakthroughs in Type 1 diabetes care and prevention.
Dr. Allen added, “Understanding why having a mother compared with a father with Type 1 diabetes offers a relative protection against Type 1 diabetes could help us develop new ways to prevent Type 1 diabetes, such as treatments that mimic some of the protective elements from mothers.”
Further research is needed to reveal what might be happening in the womb that provides some safeguard against the development of Type 1 diabetes in kids born to mothers who have the disease. However, there is no doubt these recent findings are an exciting first step.
Type 1 Diabetes FAQs: Understanding the Basics and Family Risk
What is Type 1 Diabetes and How Does it Develop?
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks and destroys the pancreas's insulin-producing beta cells. Once these cells are destroyed, the body is unable to process and regulate blood sugar, leading to a buildup in the bloodstream and a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
How Much Does Family History Increase Type 1 Diabetes Risk?
Yes. Having a family member with Type 1 diabetes significantly increases the risk that a person will develop the disease. Individuals with a family history of the disease are 8 to 15 times more likely to create it. However, just because a family member is living with Type 1 diabetes does not automatically mean a person will develop the condition. Many people who have family members with Type 1 diabetes never develop it.
Can a Mother with Type 1 Diabetes Prevent It in Her Children?
New evidence presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes suggests that mothers with Type 1 diabetes might inherently offer their children some added protection against the disease. It is believed this may be due to the unborn child being exposed to the mother’s high blood sugar, insulin injections, and antibodies associated with Type 1 diabetes while in the womb. In a sense, exposure to the disease may increase the child’s defenses against it.
Do you have a family history of Type 1 diabetes? Perhaps you have the disease, but your child does not. If you have any insights you’d like to share, please share them in the comment section below. Thank you.
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