I had gestational diabetes when pregnant with my son and now have insulin resistance. I have a cousin with Type 1 diabetes. I am worried that my son, who is now 4, could end up with diabetes because of my pregnancy or have it now. I had to use insulin and increase it over and over again and eventually had to have an early C-section because we couldn’t get it controlled. Does undetected diabetes ever cause behavioral problems or attention problems in a young child? Also, he has some African American in his background (for the type 1B).

Your son might carry a risk higher than a child with no parent with diabetes, but not of Type 1 diabetes. He would have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes instead. This type of diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and overweight (this is also sometimes called the “metabolic syndrome”). The offspring of gestational diabetes patients have a high risk of future Type 2 diabetes if they are overweight with that risk being the highest if they are obese since childhood. People of African-American decent seem to be at highest risk.

Attention deficits or behavioural problems are not part of the classical picture of undiagnosed diabetes in children.

MS