Rather, a disposition for increased growth may contribute to autoimmunities eventually leading to clinical disease. But such a predisposition could be genetic, he says. Babies most at risk, the researchers say, are those who carry blood markers for pancreas problems. Although the condition can be controlled with regular injections of insulin, if unchecked it can lead to blindness, heart attack, kidney problems and other serious complications. Scientists have noted that children in prospering nations are developing Type I diabetes at progressively younger ages.
Affluence is linked to better nutrition, which promotes early growth.
The diabetic children had been diagnosed with the disease between the ages of 4 and 15. The diabetic children and their siblings started out with average weight, length and body mass, the study says. But by the end of their first year, they were more likely to be large for their age. These kids grew more than expected in their second and third years, too, although their growth was normal by the fourth year. Bruining's team also found that, when the diabetic children were diagnosed with the disorder, they carried blood protein markers, or antibodies, for an enzyme called pancreatic islet tyrosine phosphatase.