July 4, 1999
Genetics and Heredity, Research: Causes and Prevention
Question from Chicago, Illinois, USA:
I am considering adopting a child whose father (early 20’s) has type 1 diabetes. What is the likelihood that the child will develop diabetes? Does the percentage change whether the child is male or female? Are there any tests that can be performed on an unborn child to determine if the child has diabetes? If not, at what age can a child be tested?
Answer:
The risk of a child developing diabetes inherited from a diabetic father is around 6%, not terribly likely. It seems from recent statistics that this risk is preferentially transmitted towards his female offspring. There are no test so far on an unborn child. A genetic test can be performed at birth to assess his/her susceptibility while autoantibodies can be tested better after one year of age (and repeated yearly) to detect the very beginning of the autoimmune process. And you must remember, we still don’t have any magic bullet to be ready to use for intervention when the antibodies are detected.
MS
