Does Anyone Know If Type 1 Diabetes Is Hereditary?
My partner has Type 1 diabetes (the insulin dependent -non lifestyle dependent sort) and we are planning on having a child. Is this hereditary and is there anything that can be done to stop or lower the chances of it being passed down?


Amount the various factors for Diabetes Type 1, hereditary reasons are also one of the factor but this can not be ATTRIBUTED FULLY TO DIABETES.
Type-1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar (glucose) into energy. Although type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, it typically appears during childhood or adolescence.
Type 1 Diabetes – Results from the failure of the body to produce insulin, the hormone that, unlocks the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. It is estimated that 5 to 10 per cent of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have Type 1 diabetes.
Various factors may contribute to type 1 diabetes, including genetics and exposure to certain viruses. Despite active research, type 1 diabetes has no cure. But advances in blood sugar monitoring and insulin delivery have simplified the daily routine of managing type 1 diabetes. With proper treatment, people who have type 1 diabetes can expect to live long, healthy lives.. -
Yes, but not all children of diabetics get the disease.
Type 1 is partly hereditary. If mom has type 1, the risk of child getting it is 5% lifetime. If dad, then the risk is 8% lifetime. If no family history, the general risk is 0.5%
Side note, some genes in type 1 diabetes are the same genes in rheumatoid arthritis. I have no family with type 1 diabetes, but my dad had rheumatoid arthritis, and I have type 1 diabetes
The following is a cut/paste from:
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundationhttp://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=10…
Is type 1 diabetes hereditary?
Ninety percent of children who develop type 1 diabetes actually have no relative with the disease. Thanks to studies of families, researchers now can identify at birth when a baby carries some of the genes that indicate risk factors for type 1 diabetes. Certain genes called HLA markers are associated with diabetes risk. If a child is born with such markers, his or her risk of developing type 1 diabetes is about the same as if he or she had a sibling with type 1 diabetes, even though no other family member may have the disease. There are other genes that also create risk for juvenile diabetes that have not yet been identified.
How did my child get type 1 diabetes? We have no family history.
Although the causes of type 1 diabetes are not entirely known, scientists believe the body’s own immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producingdisplay definitioncells in the pancreasdisplay definition. It is not caused by obesity or by eating excessive sugar, which are two common myths about type 1. Both genetics and environmental “triggers” are being studied as potential causes of type 1 diabetes.
According to William Winter, M.D., a professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, “At most, only 15 percent of people with type 1 diabetes have an affected first-degree relative – a sibling, parent, or offspring. Research suggests that genes account for less than half the risk of developing type 1 diabetes. These findings suggest that there are other factors besides genes that influence the development of diabetes.”
I have type-1 diabetes. I got it when I had just turned 14. My brother, less that a year younger than me, got it 6 months before me when is was 12. No other family member has it. It must have been environmental. My brother and I did and ate the same things and got it s close together. I am now 53 years old and doing great. He passed away 2 years ago at the age of 50 from his diabetes. He did not take care of himself.