“If it doesn’t run in your family, then how did your son get Type 1 Diabetes?”
I get asked this question SO often, that I want to get some freaky tattoo on my forehead and grow a unicorn horn so that people will be afraid to approach me.
In all seriousness, it appears like Diabetes Australia have been busy little bees, doing lots of research about the escillating rates of Type 1 Diabetes, and even looking at some environmental causes as to why children in particular are more vulnerable to developing the condition.
It seems that in the time since Lance was diagnosed, 2 more Australian children are diagnosed everyday. 6000 new cases of Type 1 Diabetes have been diagnosed between 2000-2006.
Scientists have stopped skitting and scatting and are now acknowledging that there are environmental factors that cause Type 1 Diabetes.
They are questioning the introduction of cow’s milk over breastfeeding, and a lack of Vitamin D during pregnancy as possible causes for the flareup in diagnoses. (Personally, I say a big fat phooey to these suggestions, as Lance was still being breastfed when he was diagnosed, and I walked almost EVERYWHERE in Brisbane (notorious for its blistering heat) when I was pregnant. I feel confident that I had plentiful stocks of Vitamin D.
However, I feel it’s really important to report any new statistics or research that is happening in Australia. Despite our little nation being so far away from where other promising investigations are happening, I am actually very proud of the work that JDRF and Diabetes Australia does to fund the best possible research and trials. So with that, I bring you the latest news.
From 2000-2006, 6000 children had newly acquired Type 1 Diabetes. One of those 6000 children is Lance, who was dignosed in 2002. These stats show that IDDM is on the rise 3-and-a-half percent every year.
Australia has the sixth largest incidence of Type 1 Diabetes in the world. Tasmania has the largest percentage per 100 000 of daily diagnoses in childen under 14, which was much higher that New South Wales, Queensland, or the Northern Territory-the vicinity with the least amount of daily diagnoses.
Finland, Norway and Sweden have the highest incidences of Type 1 Diabetes in children in the world.
(So, what’s going on in Scandanavia? Three gorgeous, first world countries have the highest percentage of the most common childhood chronic disease on the planet. Hmm.)
In the year 2000, 19 out of 100 000 children were diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. In 2006, the number of diagnoses had increased to 23 out of 100 000 children.
In this study, it was also apparent that there were almost 9000 new cases in people 15 or over, with males twice as likely than females to develop the disease.
Pleasingly, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare also acknowledged in their report that young adults aren’t immune to Type 1 Diabetes. They publically announced that contrary to popular belief, it’s not all about young children anymore and that adults of all ages are diagnosed on a daily basis.
The President of Diabetes Australia, Dr Gary Deed said, “There obviously therefore must be some environmental factors driving this increase because on average the blend of Australians and the genetic type of Australians hasn’t changed dramatically over the last five years.”
Dr Deed also confirmed that those who had autoimmune conditions such as coeliac disease, thyroid diseases and rheumatoid arthritis were more susceptible to having Type 1 diabetes.
“Certain viruses in a susceptible individual may cause the eruption of autoimmunity to the pancreas and thus causing Type 1 diabetes,” he said.
There is also a current investigation into whether there was a link between Coxfackie viruses, which can cause cold-like symptoms, and Type 1 Diabetes.
“Early dietary exposure to forms of cows milk have been also studied and that research is ongoing,” Dr Deed said.
Dr Deed said to decrease their child’s risk of having Type 1 diabetes, mothers should ensure they have enough Vitamin D during pregnancy and breastfeed. ( I feel it’s a little premature to be making calls like this; sure, research is underway, but nothing is proven by any means. Hey, listen to Dr Deed over me however. I’m sure he’s not the President of Diabetes Australia because his body shape does justice to a Barnaby Bee costume!)
Barnaby Bee-The Mascot Of Diabetes Australia. Cute!
So there you have it. That’s the news about how Type 1 Diabetes in Australia, and what investigations and research are currently underway in an attempt irradicate it from the Medical Dictionary permanently.
