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Family Stress Linked to
Autoimmune Diabetes in Children
posted February
18, 2005
Psychosocial stress induces stress
in the child that is severe enough to trigger or promote the progression of
beta-cell-related autoimmunity in infants.
Psychological strain in families may be involved in triggering diabetes-related
autoimmunity in infancy, as well as progression of the condition, according to
new study findings. Moreover, the association is independent of any family
history of diabetes.
As Dr. Anneli Sepa and colleagues from Linkoping University, Sweden, point out,
"a number of disparate environmental factors (including experiences of serious
life events) have been proposed as trigger mechanisms for type 1 diabetes or the
autoimmune process behind the disease."
They hypothesized that psychosocial stress in families "may affect children
negatively due to a link to hormonal levels and nervous signals that in turn
influence both insulin sensitivity/insulin need and the immune system."
To examine this idea, the researchers studied the first 4400 consecutive
1-year-old children from a large prospective population-based study. Parents of
the children completed questionnaires at birth and 1 year on several measures of
psychosocial stress and socio-demographic background.
The infants had blood samples drawn at age 1 for analysis of type 1
diabetes-associated autoantibodies against tyrosine phosphatase and GAD.
Diabetes-related autoimmunity in the infants was independently associated with
psychosocial factors such as high parenting stress (odds ratio 1.8, p < 0.01)
and the experience of a serious life event (OR 2.3, p < 0.01). Associations were
also observed with foreign origin of the mother (OR 2.1) and low paternal
education (OR 1.6).
"Our results support the view that psychosocial stress in the family induces
stress in the child that is severe enough to trigger or promote the progression
of beta-cell-related autoimmunity in infants," Dr. Sepa's team concludes.
Source: Diabetes In Control.com: : Diabetes Care 2005;28:290-295.
February 2005 News Article Index
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