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.
Antibodies rally immune cells to attack a threat.
In this case, the researchers believe, the antibodies reflect the destruction of pancreatic cells that generate insulin. Why pre-diabetic babies might gain weight remains unclear. But insulin stimulates appetite, and experts say that, if islet cells are damaged in infancy, they may release the hormone. What To Do Diabetes has no cure. To find out more about early-onset diabetes, visit the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation online.