Type 1 Diabetes

I don't need to tell you how serious diabetes is.  Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune problem where your own body attacks insulin producing cells in the pancreas.  For this reason it is also called insulin dependent diabetes.  Insulin is necessary to push glucose into your cells so that you can use it for energy.  The good news is that there are things you can do for your infant that can significantly decrease the likelihood of him/her developing type 1 diabetes?  Here are four things to do for your baby:

1. Optimize your child’s vitamin D levels.
Children who take a vitamin D supplement from age 1 onwards reduce their risk of developing type 1 diabetes by 80 percent (Dr. Micheal Holick).  Pregnant women should also maintain adequate vitamin D levels to decrease the risk of type 1 diabetes.  The latest research leads me to recommend 35 IUs (international units) of vitamin D3 per pound of body weight. This translates to:
• 35 IUs per pound per day for children below 5
• 2500 IUs for children between the ages of 5 to 10
• 5000 IUs for adults ages 18 to 30
• 5000 IUs for pregnant women
The best way to determine your current level and supplementation need is to do a blood test.  The best test to order is the 25 hydroxyvitamin D, available through Lab Corp.

2. Breastfeed your baby.
Babies fed using bottles tend to gain too much weight in their first year, and this may increase their chance of type 1 diabetes.  Breast milk is much preferred over formula because exposure to pasteurized cow’s milk early in life may increase a child’s risk of type 1 diabetes.  It also increases the risk of food allergies and other health problems. 

3. Avoid feeding cereal to your infant.
Choose vegetable sources of carbohydrates over grains.  Grains are extremely difficult to digest and babies may not have the ability to break down grain proteins like gluten. Grains are just not the best choice for most people, including infants. Babies who are given cereal may also increase their risk of type 1 diabetes.

4. Do some research before vaccinating your infant.
Some research indicates that the incidences of autoimmune diseases in children are a result of the growing number of vaccinations received. Dr. Donald W. Miller points out that there has been a 17-fold increase in type 1 diabetes -- from 1 in 7,100 children in the 1950s to 1 in 400 today.