Importance of environmental risk factors for development of childhood pre-diabetes in Lithuania

Abstract

Purpose: To study what environmental factors predict islet cell autoantibodies (ICA) seroconversion in healthy schoolchildren. Material and methods: Sera from 3053 non-diabetic schoolchildren living in Kaunas region of Lithuania were investigated for ICA autoantibodies. ICA were measured in undiluted sera by an indirect immunofluorescence method. Data from 13 ICA positive and 90 ICA negative schoolchildren were included in the analysis. Information on environmental factors was collected via questionnaires. Results: The ICA positive schoolchildren tended to be more frequently breastfed than ICA negative (92.3% and 87.8%, respectively, p=0.63). ICA negative children were more frequently exclusively breastfed during the period of first month than ICA positive children (96.2% and 83.3% respectively, p=0.07). Allergy to cow’s milk occurred more frequently among ICA positive than among ICA negative children (p=0.05). Mothers of cases took medicine during pregnancy more often, than mothers of controls (p<0.001). ICA positive children with neonatal icterus more often were treated with phototherapy and blood transfusions (p=0.03). 53.8% of ICA positive children lived in homes where family members were smoking indoors while this was recorded only for 27.8% controls (p=0.06). Conclusion: Certain environmental factors have earlier been identified as risk factors for development of diabetes, and we can confirm that some of these factors increase the risk of developing ICA among Lithuanian children. Intake of medicine during pregnancy and indoor smoking of family members belong to the risk factors.