Passing on diabetes to children - Is it a given?

I don't think anybody can answer your question with certainty........it is ongoing research and may not be concluded for another 10 - 15 yrs ! Here is a link to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation which has some information about Type 1 and possible hereditary links:

http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=103442#hereditary

Well i have a form of diabetes which is wholly genetic, passed on by a single, dominant gene. So my kids have a 50% chance of getting it. It's Mody diabetes and according to my consultant is on the increase although at the mo only affects 5% of diabetics. But that's rare. What kind of diabetes have you been diagnosed with?

There's absolutely nothing I can do to affect whether or not my kids get it or not, as its a single gene with no environmental interaction, they will either get it or not when the sperm meets the egg (although it doesn't manifest til adolescence)

Dollyrocker is a 'Type 1 according to her profile.

This from the link I posted which seems to suggest there MAY be environmental factors involved.

Researchers are still trying to get a clear picture about how genes and environmental factors interact to determine a person's risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Forty percent of everyone in the United States carries one or more of the HLA genes (human leukocyte antigen) which lead to increased risk of type 1 diabetes. To be at increased risk, however, an individual needs two copies of these genes, one from each parent.

One in 400-500 people in the general population develops type 1 diabetes, but 1 in 20 (5 percent) people are at risk if a parent, sibling, or child has the disease. Research has shown, however, that genes don't tell the whole story, and suggests that environmental factors (which are not yet fully known) play a role as well.

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hya, im the only type 1 in my family and none of my kids have it, i started with it late so i do hope that my kids dont get it , its just a chance we have to take

Hi there, I'm new to this forum and have generally only read posts but this is an issue close to my heart. My husband is type 1, diagnosed in his mid 20's (now 51yrs). I have 3 children of whom 2 are also type 1. My eldest daughter Amy (19yrs) was diagnosed at age 3, and my son Ryan (17yrs) diagnosed at age 13. So far my youngest Megan(15yrs) is ok, although I must admit it is always at the back of my mind if she goes to the loo once too often! (neurotic mother !). When Amy was first diagnosed I was told by the consultant that the hereditary risks are higher if the father is type 1. He also said the odds of one of our children developing diabetes was 1/20. However, if one child developed diabetes then the odds for a subsequent child was 1/10. But to be honest, you have to look at the positive side of things - the odds for megan are that she has a 9/10 chance of NOT developing diabetes. And I have always taken the view that there's a lot worse than diabetes out there, I am just grateful that's all we have to worry about. Diabetes is just a way of life in our house really and although I would give anything for none of them to be diabetic, I have 3 wonderful children and I would have had them regardless of the odds. 1 daughter at University and my son going next year. They have very full and active lives and I wouldn't change anything. Go ahead and have your family and enjoy every minute of it, and remember the odds are that your children WON'T develop diabetes.

Hi, My dad thinks his father was T1...but died so long ago, we don't know for sure.

I am T1, have been since I was 4. i have 2 children, who are 2 and 4...and everytime they ask me for an extra drink, my heart goes cold...poor little things, if they need the loo more than twice in an hour, the thought goes through my head "test them!!!! I have not yet tried to do a BG test on my children I have to add, but I have that thought a few times. It really worries me, but it didn't worry me enough to stop me wanting and having children. It is all statistics, and having diabetes does not mean my life is not worth living...so now I am a cream crackered Mum.

There are so many things to consiider when considering children...and I suppose, if my kids do become diabetic, at least I will not have quite as big a learning curve, as none diabetic parents of diabetic children (Ok, so it is a desperate bright side, but I try to be positive).

I agree with you about looking for positives though. I'm a great believer in for every negative look for the positive to balance life out. My positive was that I was able to recogise and address my childrens diabetes before they became really ill on diagnosis the way some kids are and also I had a good knowledge on the subject. Also, it really does help that my husband fully understands how they feel when they've been unwell, I've found that to be a great help for them.When my oldest daughter was a baby I have to admit it was always in the back of my mind about her becoming diabetic and as I had monitoring equipment at home I did check her blood sugars from time to time. But I was wrong doing this, why worry about what may or not be when you can't change or prevent it. Focus on, and enjoy, the here and now. Worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes. And remember the odds are AGAINST your kids becoming diabetic.

My Nan had type 1, her children (my Mother and my Uncle) don't have it, but my and my brother both have type 1. My stepfathers fathers had type 1, my stepfather, his sister and brother don't have it. My half brother and half sister don't have it, despite having 2 grandparents, one on either side, having type 1. None of my cousins have it either.

I know it sounds confusing written like that, but it basically means that none of the children of a type 1 has developed type 1 in our family, but 2 grandchildren did.

You shouldn't worry about passing it on to your children Dolly, I'd rather be alive and diabetic than never have existed at all. I'm sure that you feel the same, so why won't your own children?

Yes Diabetes is a pain in the bum.

But you're happy enough with your life to want children, so why should it be a concern?

Has your life been worth living? If so, why should the possiblity of diabetes stopy ou from having children?

I don't think it's a given, but I agree with the post above. I'm sure we'd all rather be alive and diabetic than not at all!

Hi dolly,

When i was diagnosed 13 years ago I was told that the risk of passing on diabetes was greater if you were male (sorry to the blokes). The only person that i knew of to have diabetes was my great-nan and she was type 1. I am the only one out of four kids to have it, neither my parents or grand parents had it, so you do feel like a bit of an anomaly!

So i would say no it is not a given that you will pass it on to your children. I have two, 3 & 4, and i do worry about them developing it but i think i will cross that bridge if it comes to it. I am happy to know that if they do develope it they have someone to talk to about it and to help them out.

Josie