Babies Under Stress Are More Likely to Get Diabetes

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Sepa A, Wahlberg J, Vaarala O, et al.: Psychological stress may induce diabetes-related autoimmunity in infancy. Diabetes Care 28:290-295, 2005.

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

We think that when bad or sad things happen to people, it can make them sick. We call these "stressful experiences." It could be when parents get a divorce or someone in the family dies. In one study, children with diabetes more often had a stressful experience before their second birthday than children who did not have diabetes. We think that stress may affect hormone levels. This could keep babies who are under stress from fighting off sickness, and so they might get diabetes.

Why did the researchers do this particular study?

To find out if stress has something to do with "diabetes-related autoimmunity" in babies. What is diabetes-related autoimmunity? That's when a person's white blood cells, which fight infections in the body, make a mistake and attack beta-cells, which make insulin. If enough beta-cells are destroyed, then the body can't make enough insulin. That's when a person gets diabetes.

Who was studied?

The study was called All Babies In Southeast Sweden. The researchers studied 4,400 1-year-old children whose parents said they would join in the project.

How was the study done?

The parents filled out forms with questions when their children were born. Then they filled out forms again when their children were 1 year old. The questions were about "psychosocial" stress -- or very upsetting things happening at home. The parents also answered questions about how many years they attended school and what kinds of jobs they had. The researchers took blood samples from the children when they were 1 year old to look for "diabetes-related autoimmunity."

What did the researchers find?

The babies with stress in their lives had a bigger chance of getting diabetes. It didn't matter if other people in the family had diabetes. Some of the babies' stress had to do with their parents -- arguments about taking care of the baby or problems because the mother was born in another country or the father had a low education.

What were the limitations of the study?

The researchers came up with their answers by measuring the two biggest signs of type 1 diabetes autoimmunity. But it is normal for these signs to go up and down in young children. So when these two signs are high during the first year of a child’s life, it does not mean the child will get type 1 diabetes. In fact, most babies in this study probably will not get the disease.

What are the implications of the study?

Family stress might set off what we call "diabetes-related autoimmunity" in babies. A longer study is needed to be sure if family stress plays a part in children getting diabetes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

How Stress Affects Diabetes.

Thernlund, GM, et al.: Psychological stress and the onset of IDDM in children. Diabetes Care 18:1323-1329, 1995.

Wysocki, T: The ten keys to helping your child grow up with diabetes, 2nd ed. ADA , Alexandria , Va. , 2004.