Higher Weight Gain During First Year of Life Linked to Increased Type I Diabetes

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Maria C. Magnus PhD
Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Department of Chronic Diseases
Nydalen Norway

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Magnus: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases with onset in childhood, but environmental risk factors have not been convincingly established. A few previous studies report that childhood weight increase might influence the development of type 1 diabetes. This study combined information from two Scandinavian birth cohorts, including more than 99,000 children. The results showed that a higher weight increase during the first year of life increased the risk of type 1 diabetes. The same was not seen for height increase during the first year of life.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Magnus: The findings indicate that the early childhood environment influences the likelihood of developing type 1 diabetes.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Magnus: Future studies are needed to explore potential underlying mechanisms of these findings.

Citation:

Magnus MC, Olsen SF, Granström C, et al. Infant Growth and Risk of Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes in Children From 2 Scandinavian Birth Cohorts. JAMA Pediatr.2015;169(12):e153759. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.3759.

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Maria C. Magnus PhD (2015). Higher Weight Gain During First Year of Life Linked to Increased Type I Diabetes 

Last Updated on December 10, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD