My 10 year old son has had type 1 diabetes since age eight, and he has two siblings (a 13 year old sister and a seven year old brother). My concern is that my seven year old is showing a sign of diabetes (extreme thirst) and recently had a blood sugar of 142 mg/dl [7.9 mmol/L] just after breakfast. Is any progress being made on prevention? Is their really nothing I can do? What can or should I do?

Your seven year old son has only about a 5% chance of getting type�1A (autoimmune) diabetes before he is 20, and a single random blood sugar of 142 mg/dl (7.9 mmol) is certainly not diagnostic any more than his thirst at this time of year. I think that you should talk over your concerns with your older son’s diabetes team and perhaps arrange to have a formal fasting blood sugar or, better still, an antibody test which you might be able to arrange without cost by calling the national DPT-1 Trial at 1-800-425-8361. If these are both negative the results should set your mind at rest.

DOB

[Editor’s comment: See Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes Guidelines.

SS]