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In most cases, when a child is diagnosed with diabetes,
it is "Type 1" diabetes, meaning that his or her body does not produce enough insulin. Without insulin, which breaks
down the sugar from your food, sugars build up in the bloodstream and cause many problems and long-term complications.
The Diabetes Center at Children's Hospital of Pttsburgh of UPMC helps
nearly 2,000 children with diabetes to keep their blood sugar under control with diet, medications, and guidance to get through
all the changes in their dynamic young lives. As children grow, become involved in extracurricular activities, and mature
into responsible young adults, their diabetes care needs will change, and the staff of the Center are with them every step
of the way.
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Current Diabetes Research at Children's Hospital
For every child diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, about
1 in 10 other siblings and 1 in 25 parents also will develop Type 1 diabetes. For this reason, Children's has been working
on understanding the causes and finding techniques to predict diabetes in family members. This research has led to prevention
studies in both Type 1 and Type2 diabetes. There are other preventions that are being developed and will be tried in the future.
Also there are studies looking at whether we can reverse Type 1 diabetes in both children and adults who recently were diagnosed.
Two proposals use a medication that may protect the cells that are still making some insulin. Another uses the person's
own immune cells that have been specially altered to stop the killing of the insulin-making cells. Other such ideas are being
developed and will start in the new year.
Children's has created one of the world's largest databases of
cases of Type 1 diabetes. This makes it possible for researchers to look at important factors that might have lead to people
getting diabetes. The same registry has been the basis for numerous studies, including finding factors that lead to the long-term
complications of diabetes (like blindness, amputations, kidney failure and heart attacks).
Children's is the
United States center for a world-wide study to see whether what a baby eats or does not eat may cause the immune system to
begin attacking the insulin-making cells. Another study of babies with a parent or sibling with Type 1 diabetes will try to
find all factors that lead to the attacks on these special cells.
In trying to make the daily life of children
with Type 1 diabetes better, Children's has done numerous studies on insulin pumps (instead of insulin shots) and blood
glucose Control and Complications Trial, we have proven that good diabetes control can prevent complications.
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