There are two different types of diabetes, and children can get either one. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type among adults, and can often be controlled by diet and exercise. Type 1 diabetes, however, used to be called "juvenile diabetes" because it's by far the most common type for kids, according to NetDoctor. This type usually requires insulin shots to treat, and the causes aren't as clear.
Immune System
Type 1 diabetes is different from type 2 because it's an autoimmune disease. That means it is the result of the body's immune system attacking an organ; in this case the pancreas is the target. Normally the pancreas makes insulin for the body to use glucose from the foods we eat, but type 1 diabetes destroys its ability to do that.
Genetics
Not all children with type 1 diabetes have a family history of the disease, and one twin can get it while the other doesn't. This proves that genetics alone don't cause type 1 diabetes in children, but only people with a genetic predisposition to the disease get it. There are several antibodies that may be responsible for telling the body to be allergic to itself, including the islet cell antibody, the ICA 512 antibody, and the 64-K, or GAD, antibody, according to Children with Diabetes. These can be present in the body for many years before type 1 diabetes sets in, since this genetic component needs to be combined with other factors to cause the disease.
Coxsackie Virus
One or more environmental triggers are required to cause type 1 diabetes, in combination with the genetic predisposition. Two studies conducted at UCLA and the University of Florida, published in 1994 issues of the "Journal of Experimental Medicine" and the "Journal of Clinical Investigation," showed a strong possibility that coxsackie viruses, which are related to polio and cause upper respiratory infections, could be a cause of type 1 diabetes.
The connection is that the GAD (glutamic acid decarboxylase) enzyme, a beta cell found on the surface of pancreas cells that create insulin, is very similar in structure to the coxsackie protein. If the GAD antibody is present in the body, and the coxsackie virus is introduced, the immune system seems to inadvertently attack both the virus and the insulin-secreting GAD cells.
Other Viruses
Measles, mumps, rubella and Epstein-Barr virus also can attack beta cells, so they may trigger type 1 diabetes.
Chemicals
There's also a possibility that chemicals or drugs can be an environmental trigger to diabetes. Some that have been considered include the chemical alloxan, the rodenticide vacor, and the drugs streptozotocin and pentamidine. All of these may cause an immune system response that could result in the destruction of insulin-producing cells.
Food
Some other potential triggers that have drawn attention include the food preservative nitrosamine, and a protein found in cow's milk. This is one reason why doctors recommend that children under one year old do not drink cow's milk. According to KidsHealth, a division of the Nemours Foundation, one of the world's largest nonprofit organizations devoted to children's health, breastfeeding your child and not introducing solid foods too early are also thought to help.
