Diabetes, a disease characterized by too much sugar or glucose in the blood, affects approximately 23.6 million adults and children in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes, develops in childhood or adolescence due to a combination of factors. Approximately one in every 400 to 600 children and adolescents has Type 1 diabetes.
Destruction of Beta Cells
The pancreas, a gland organ located in the upper portion of the abdomen, produces and secretes enzymes and hormones necessary for digestion and the regulation of energy. The digestive system breaks down food into glucose, the largest source of energy for the body. Once absorbed into the bloodstream, glucose must gain access into cells in order to be used for energy. Glucose cannot get into cells without the help of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas.
Specialized cells in the pancreas, known as beta cells, produce the insulin. Type 1 diabetes occurs when beta cells become destroyed, inhibiting the pancreas from producing insulin. Without insulin, glucose remains in the blood, resulting in diabetes.
Genetic Factors
The exact cause of Type 1 diabetes remains unknown; however, scientists believe that a combination of factors contribute to the disease, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. The destruction of the beta cells occurs due to the body's immune system mistakenly attacking the pancreas. Genetic factors contribute to the autoimmune reaction within the body.
A child whose mother has Type 1 diabetes has 1 percent to 2 percent risk of developing the disease, but if the father has diabetes, the child has a 4 percent to 6 percent chance, according to the Royal Children's Hospital. One identical twin with the disease increases the risk for the other twin to 35 percent, the hospital says.
Environmental Factors
Although genetics contributes to the disease, Type 1 diabetes requires an environmental trigger. This differs from person to person. Type 1 diabetes develops more often in the winter, leading researchers to believe cold weather is one environmental trigger, according to the American Diabetes Association. Diet as an infant may also contribute to the onset of the disease. Infections caused by viruses, although normally harmless in most, may induce those with a genetic predisposition for Type 1 diabetes to develop the disease.
