I’ve been tossing around a thought for some time now about parents age when having children. My parents had five biological children. My dad was a type 1 diabetic. Myself and one of my brothers are type 1’s as well and we just so happen to be the two youngest children, born when both our parents were in their 30’s. My mom (not diabetic) was 33 and 35 when my brother and I were born, my dad was 37 and 39.
You know they say age matters when passing on certain ailments or defects. Like the risk of Down Syndrome, etc. I wonder if the risk of passing on type 1 increases with parents age? I’ve never heard any scientific proof, but I have been told by numerous persons, including doctors, that it could be a possibility.
This is about the risks for Type 1, age is included.
Type 1 Diabetes: Your Child’s Risk
In general, if you are a man with type 1 diabetes, the odds of your child developing diabetes are 1 in 17.
If you are a woman with type 1 diabetes and your child was born before you were 25, your child’s risk is 1 in 25; if your child was born after you turned 25, your child’s risk is 1 in 100.
Your child’s risk is doubled if you developed diabetes before age 11. If both you and your partner have type 1 diabetes, the risk is between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4.
There is an exception to these numbers. About 1 in every 7 people with type 1 diabetes has a condition called type 2 polyglandular autoimmune syndrome. In addition to having diabetes, these people also have thyroid disease and a poorly working adrenal gland. Some also have other immune system disorders. If you have this syndrome, your child’s risk of getting the syndrome — including type 1 diabetes — is 1 in 2.
Researchers are learning how to predict a person’s odds of getting diabetes. For example, most whites with type 1 diabetes have genes called HLA-DR3 or HLA-DR4. If you and your child are white and share these genes, your child’s risk is higher. (Suspect genes in other ethnic groups are less well studied. The HLA-DR7 gene may put African Americans at risk, and the HLA-DR9 gene may put Japanese at risk.)
Other tests can also make your child’s risk clearer. A special test that tells how the body responds to glucose can tell which school-aged children are most at risk.
Another more expensive test can be done for children who have siblings with type 1 diabetes. This test measures antibodies to insulin, to islet cells in the pancreas, or to an enzyme called glutamic acid decarboxylase. High levels can indicate that a child has a higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
My Dad was type1. When I was born he was 39 and my mom was 32. I’m the youngest of 4 siblings and none of my siblings have diabetes, but my brother son( my nephew) does have diabetes.
I’m not sure. My mother was in her mid 20’s my father was 30 I think. Neither had type 1 or any diabetes. My grandfather had graves disease which is why docs have stated I got t1- I don’t think anyone really knows. I wouldn’t have children if there were a good chance I could pass this to them, as well as a whole host of other things. Getting it later in life there is no way I could have known in advance.
My mom was 24 when I was born and of course like here i have type 1. So does age matter? For me no. That being said I chose to have children relatively early but that had much more to do with my age when they were in college than what age I was when we had them.
