In contrast, the far more common Type 2 diabetes tends to develop later in life and is largely linked to lifestyle factors such as obesity.
Of the estimated more than two million people with diabetes in the UK, around 250,000 have Type 1. According to the charity Diabetes UK at least 20,000 children of school age in the UK have Type 1.
Presenting her findings at Diabetes UK's annual conference, lead researcher Professor Polly Bingley said the rate of childhood Type 1 diabetes was increasing all over Europe, particularly in the very young. She said the increase was too steep to be put down to genetic factors alone.
"So it must be due to changes in our environment. This could either mean that we are being exposed to something new, or that we now have reduced exposure to something that was previously controlling our immune responses."
She suggested that fewer mums opting to breastfeed their babies might be a factor.
Children's diets have also changed, with more convenience and snack foods available. "We now need to work to identify what these changes might be."
March 2007
Breastfeeding Advice
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