husband has type1 diabetes

[tobemom]

Hi My husband has diabetes (type 1) i am very ocncerned that if we have children they might get juvenile daibetes too,does anyone know anyhing about this. We are keen on having children but just are not sure if it is right to bring a child into this world with the risk involved or if we will be able to handle it.

[Forum-VOL-CB]

Hi tobemom,
I'm just the mom of a 17-year-old type-1, so I can't speak definitively to this, but I know it was a concern of my daughter's when she was diagnosed, because she very much wants children. Her doctor said the chances of her child being diabetic are small-- it is a greater chance than for a 'normal' person, but only by a couple of percentage points. The reading I've done on the matter implies the same thing. Much is still not known, however. There are no diabetics on my family's side or my husband's-- but his father's family is riddled with autoimmune diseases (MS, Crohn's), and his sister was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a year after our daughter was diagnosed with diabetes. It seems to be the tendency to get an autoimmune disease, not necessarily diabetes, that is genetic in this case. And yet many members of that family have nothing.

As for bringing a child into the world and handling the problems of a possible health issue, none of us has any way of knowing what will come. A family with a perfect medical history could get a child with Down's syndrome or a rare disease, and a family with a risky history can easily have a completely healthy child. There are no guarantees with kids-- just love!  And I for one am very happy that my smart, funny, athletic and healthy type-1 diabetic daughter is here.

[Forum-vol-cmb]

I am a Type I diabetic and have two children, 2 and 4, both are healthy, happy children.  My husband was very concerned about our children having diabetes too.  I was not as worried.  I would suggest reading and being very informed about the chances of your future child developing diabetes because it will ease your fears. You could look on the JDRF website or other sites that give you true medical information.  The chances are extremely low that your child will develop diabetes.  Try not to worry so much--stressing out doesn't help because it just makes you feel awful and never solves any problems.