Siwgrstorm

I've let my daughter play with my Minimed pump before, thinking that she shouldn't be told it was completely strange and off limits. I assumed that she could not push the buttons in the right order to deliver an unintended bolus. But eventually I knew that day would come.....I caught her just in time. She's also figured out when my blood sugar is low, and which types of sugar will help it get better ("Remember you said chocolate won't help mommy...") I remember when she would wear a block in her back pocket and talk about wanting a pump one day, but these days are over.

Speaking of which, I am wondering if any Moms/Dads out there have screened their children for Type 1. I learned of the two methods on 'genetichealth.com's' Amy Adams article recently; Does anyone have an experience to share about this?

If a child has a parent or sibling with Type 1 diabetes, they are at about 15 times higher risk than the general population for developing the disease. There are two tests a doctor can use to find out if a child has inherited a high risk for diabetes. However, because knowing a child's risk does not help doctors prevent the disease, the American Diabetes Association only recommends using these tests in children who have a parent or sibling with diabetes and who are entering to a scientific study that requires the information.

HLA Typing
Certain genes in the HLA (human leukocyte antigen) region of the genome can increase a person's risk for developing diabetes. These genes make proteins that are located on the outside of some immune cells. Doctors can screen a child's immune cells to determine which form of the HLA proteins are present. If the child has high-risk forms of the protein — called DR3 and DR4 — that child has a higher than average risk of developing Type 1 diabetes.

Antibody Screening
In Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks insulin-producing pancreas cells. When the immune cells attack the pancreas, they make proteins called antibodies that are designed to fight against pancreas tissue. These antibodies are present as much as eight years before the onset of diabetes. If doctors find these antibodies, the child is at higher risk for developing diabetes than the general population.