Diabetes in children is now common. There are various causes of diabetes and the most prominent being the genetic factors. Diabetes travels through genes. There are other factors also that cause diabetes. Read on to know some other potent causes of diabetes.Almost 95% of the children who are diagnosed with diabetes are found to suffer from Type 1 diabetes. This is the reason why this is also known juvenile diabetes as it is usually diagnosed in children who are below sixteen years of age. However, there can be cases where the child is found to suffer from type 2 diabetes as well. As of yet, there are no specific factors that can be attributed as causes for the development of diabetes in children. But there are a number of theories that explains through association why a child could contract this disease. Given below are a few of them: In this articleGenetic FactorsEnvironmental FactorsContraction through VirusFood AllergiesGenetic Factors Diabetes is found to travel through the genes and more so if any of the parents are suffering from the disease or are carriers of the gene. If the any of the parents has type 2, the child is sure to have it, but it is not the case with type 1. if the father has type 1 diabetes, the chances of the child developing this disease is one in 17 cases, and if the mother has type 1 diabetes, the probability factor is one in 25 cases. And if both the parents have type 1 diabetes, the child has a risk factor of 1 or 4 in ten cases. Then if any of the parents have type 2 diabetes, the risk factor is one in seven and if both the parents are affected, the child is likely to get affected by the disuses in one out of every two cases. Environmental Factors Whether the child is diagnosed with diabetes type 1 or type 2, environmental factors sure play a big role. If the child does not have a healthy eating habit and leads an unhealthy lifestyle, he is likely to contract this disease. The balance of insulin in the body gets disturbed and goes for a toss when the kid is living on a fast food diet that is rich in calories and high in sugar. The impact becomes a cause for concern when this is combined with a sedentary lifestyle that is devoid of any significant physical movement. This is why diabetes is termed as a lifestyle disease and is observed to be more frequent in the current generation of children coming from well to do families. Amongst the other environmental factors, climate also plays a role. It has been observed in several studies that the disease in children gets triggered off in those living in cooler climatic regions. This must not be considered as a cause as this is a mere correlation that has been observed. Contraction through Virus Children contracting diabetes through virus is not very common. Although it has been observed that in certain cases when a child has had viral infections like influenza, mumps, measles, polio or rubella, the child went on to develop type 1 diabetes in due course. But then it is also true that these children also had a history of the incidence in their families. In other cases which is also extremely rare, the child develops an injured pancreas caused by some trauma or the action of toxins, also are found to develop diabetes. Food Allergies This is a very potent cause for the development of diabetes. It has been found in some studies that children who have cow’s milk since their infancy are exposed to the risk of the development of this disease compared to the rest of children. The antigens in the milk results in the depletion of the child’s immune system by degenerating the tissues of the pancreas that produce insulin. Since diabetes is an autoimmune disease, this theory actually can be regarded as a potent cause for diabetes.
Diabetes in children is now common. There are various causes of diabetes and the most prominent being the genetic factors. Diabetes travels through genes. There are other factors also that cause diabetes. Read on to know some other potent causes of diabetes.Almost 95% of the children who are diagnosed with diabetes are found to suffer from Type 1 diabetes. This is the reason why this is also known juvenile diabetes as it is usually diagnosed in children who are below sixteen years of age.
However, there can be cases where the child is found to suffer from type 2 diabetes as well. As of yet, there are no specific factors that can be attributed as causes for the development of diabetes in children. But there are a number of theories that explains through association why a child could contract this disease. Given below are a few of them:
Genetic Factors
Diabetes is found to travel through the genes and more so if any of the parents are suffering from the disease or are carriers of the gene. If the any of the parents has type 2, the child is sure to have it, but it is not the case with type 1. if the father has type 1 diabetes, the chances of the child developing this disease is one in 17 cases, and if the mother has type 1 diabetes, the probability factor is one in 25 cases.
And if both the parents have type 1 diabetes, the child has a risk factor of 1 or 4 in ten cases. Then if any of the parents have type 2 diabetes, the risk factor is one in seven and if both the parents are affected, the child is likely to get affected by the disuses in one out of every two cases.
Environmental Factors
Whether the child is diagnosed with diabetes type 1 or type 2, environmental factors sure play a big role. If the child does not have a healthy eating habit and leads an unhealthy lifestyle, he is likely to contract this disease. The balance of insulin in the body gets disturbed and goes for a toss when the kid is living on a fast food diet that is rich in calories and high in sugar.
The impact becomes a cause for concern when this is combined with a sedentary lifestyle that is devoid of any significant physical movement. This is why diabetes is termed as a lifestyle disease and is observed to be more frequent in the current generation of children coming from well to do families.
Amongst the other environmental factors, climate also plays a role. It has been observed in several studies that the disease in children gets triggered off in those living in cooler climatic regions. This must not be considered as a cause as this is a mere correlation that has been observed.
Contraction through Virus
Children contracting diabetes through virus is not very common. Although it has been observed that in certain cases when a child has had viral infections like influenza, mumps, measles, polio or rubella, the child went on to develop type 1 diabetes in due course. But then it is also true that these children also had a history of the incidence in their families. In other cases which is also extremely rare, the child develops an injured pancreas caused by some trauma or the action of toxins, also are found to develop diabetes.
Food Allergies
This is a very potent cause for the development of diabetes. It has been found in some studies that children who have cow’s milk since their infancy are exposed to the risk of the development of this disease compared to the rest of children. The antigens in the milk results in the depletion of the child’s immune system by degenerating the tissues of the pancreas that produce insulin. Since diabetes is an autoimmune disease, this theory actually can be regarded as a potent cause for diabetes.
