I Have Diabetes — Will My Children?

Diabetes is a chronic illness affecting over 10% of the United States population. Living with any of the main types of diabetes can be challenging, but many people successfully manage their diabetes to avoid common complications like diabetic neuropathy, severe drops in blood sugar, and cardiovascular disease.

If you live with diabetes, you might wonder if your child or children will end up with the condition too. There’s no guarantee your child will develop diabetes just because you have it, but they may be at a higher risk.

At Westmed Family Healthcare in Westminster, Colorado, board-certified family providers Clifton Etienne, MD, Michael Cavanagh, MD, and Flora Brewington, MD, can help you and your children develop healthy habits to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In this blog, we talk about what causes diabetes and how you can help your child work against a genetic risk.

The differences between diabetes types and their causes

If you’re wondering whether or not your child will develop diabetes if you have it, first consider the type of diabetes you have. There are three main types:

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which means it involves a malfunction or overreaction within your immune system. More specifically, type 1 diabetes causes your immune system to destroy insulin-producing cells in your pancreas so you can’t properly produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps convert glucose (blood sugar) into energy.

While type 1 diabetes has underlying genetic causes, those causes aren’t the lone determiners of whether or not your child will develop type 1 diabetes. Your child’s odds of developing type 1 diabetes are higher than average. If both parents have the condition, your child’s odds can be as high as one in four.

Type 2 diabetes

Just like type 1, type 2 diabetes stems from a combination of genetic and environmental causes. However, it’s not an autoimmune disease.

With type 2 diabetes, your body either can’t produce enough insulin to keep up with demand or can’t use the insulin properly. Your child may inherit a predisposition to type 2 diabetes because you have it, but their lifestyle and environment can trigger it.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is similar to type 2 but affects women during pregnancy. If you had gestational diabetes while pregnant with your child, that child was exposed to more glucose in the womb which further increases their chances of later developing diabetes.

Gestational diabetes also puts you at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes after your pregnancy is over.

Helping your child prevent type 2 diabetes

Diabetes may not always be preventable in children with parents who have diabetes, but some lifestyle and environmental factors are within your control. Type 2 diabetes is typically more preventable than type 1.

Our team at Westmed Family Healthcare can educate you and your family about diabetes risk factors. To help you prevent type 2 diabetes in your children, we may advise you to:

Cut down on sugary drinks and snacks for your family
Encourage exercise for your household
Strive for variety during mealtimes (e.g. lots of colorful fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean protein)
Schedule regular visits to Westmed Family Healthcare

Annual wellness visits for your whole family help you stay in touch about your health and the health of your children. Our team gets to know your family well and can offer personalized tips for diabetes prevention in kids.

Call Westmed Family Healthcare today to book an appointment or schedule one online anytime.