Weight gain in early life predicts risk of islet autoimmuity in children with a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes

Copyright © 2009 by the American Diabetes Association Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ for details.OBJECTIVE—In a prospective birth cohort study, we followed infants who had a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes to investigate the relationship between early growth and infant feeding and the risk of islet autoimmunity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Infants with a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes were identified during their mother's pregnancy. Dietary intake was recorded prospectively to determine duration of breast-feeding and age at introduction of cow's milk protein, cereals, meat, fruit, and vegetables. At 6-month reviews, length (or height) and weight, antibodies to insulin, GAD65, the tyrosine phosphatase-like insulinoma antigen, and tissue transglutaminase were measured. Islet autoimmunity was defined as persistent elevation of one or more islet antibodies at consecutive 6-month intervals, including the most recent measure, and was the primary outcome measure. RESULTS—Follow-up of 548 subjects for 5.7 ± 3.2 years identified 46 children with islet autoimmunity. Weight z score and BMI z score were continuous predictors of risk of islet autoimmunity (adjusted hazard ratios 1.43 [95% CI 1.10–1.84], P = 0.007, and 1.29 [1.01–1.67], P = 0.04, respectively). The risk of islet autoimmunity was greater in subjects with weight z score >0 than in those with weight z score ≤0 over time (2.61 [1.26–5.44], P = 0.01). Weight z score and BMI z score at 2 years and change in weight z score between birth and 2 years, but not dietary intake, also predicted risk of islet autoimmunity. CONCLUSIONS—Weight gain in early life predicts risk of islet autoimmunity in children with a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes.Jennifer J. Couper, Sarah Beresford, Craig Hirte, Peter A. Baghurst, Angie Pollard, Brian D. Tait, Leonard C. Harrison and Peter G. Colma