October 6, 2003
Genetics and Heredity, Research: Causes and Prevention
Question from Fargo, North Dakota, USA:
My husband has type 1 diabetes, and his paternal great-grandmother had type 2 diabetes. I do not have diabetes, but my maternal grandmother had type 2 diabetes. These are the only incidences of diabetes in our family.
Answer:
Assuming that you husband has type 1A (autoimmune) diabetes, which is by far the most common in Caucasian families, then the chances of any children developing the same form of diabetes before age 20 would be about 7%. The type 2 relationships are too distant to be relevant.
For a number of years, there was a belief that started in Finland that early exposure to cow’s milk increased the chances of developing autoimmune diabetes, but, after a confusing series of studies, it was finally decided a few months ago that this was not the case. Breast feeding too is nearly always preferable too for many other reasons.
DOB
