Parents with diabetes are acutely aware of the impact the disease has on their lives and many are worried about their children developing the disease. For some, it is a great source of anxiety. A recent article from Diabetes Health tackled the issue of when to worry and when to stay calm.
Most people generally agree there is a genetic element to both Type 1 and type 2 diabetes and that having a parent with diabetes ups a child’s diabetes risk. Diabetes News Hound ran an article back in November entitled ‘How Likely Are You to Pass on Diabetes to Your Kids?‘ that addressed this issue.
Children of men with Type 1 diabetes have a 6% chance of developing diabetes. With women, the risks vary. A child born to a woman with Type 1 diabetes, who is younger than 25 years old, has a 4% chance of getting diabetes. After that age, the risk drops to 1%. The odds double if the parent was diagnosed prior to the age of 11 years old. Children of non-diabetic parents have less than a 1% chance of getting this form of the disease.
Family history is extremely important with Type 2, the more common form of the disease. Children with one parent suffering from Type 2 have a 30% to 50% chance of developing the disease. If both parents have it, the risk jumps to between 50% and 100%. Researchers estimate that one in three people born after the year 2000 will develop diabetes.
So, in short, knowing the symptoms and the risks can help parents know when to worry and when to take a chill pill. Symptoms include unexplained weight loss, frequent urination (in kids, excessive bedwetting might be an indicator), unquenchable thirst, dizziness and blurry vision, among others.
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