October 28, 2005
Remember that the information presented here is not intended to replace the care of your own doctor. Before making any changes in the management of your own illness, you should consult your physician or other qualified medical professionals.
Question
My 32 year old boyfriend has had type 1 diabetes for eight years. We are thinking about having a child after marriage, and there's no history of diabetes in his family nor in mine. I am concerned because an endocrinologist told me that there is a high chance that our child will develop diabetes immediately after birth. What are the chances that our child will develop diabetes after birth?Answer
Based on what you have stated, the chances of your baby developing diabetes after birth is very low. The lifetime risk is probably low as well. However, people develop diabetes for many reasons, so it is difficult to predict who will get diabetes and who will not.The risk for a man with type 1 diabetes to have a child who develops it during his/her lifetime is in the neighborhood of 3-6%. In addition, it is extremely rare for a child to be born with diabetes.
