A study published in JAMA showed that recurrence viral respiratory infections and the occurrence of type 1 diabetes in the future about the first 6 months after birth. The study findings suggest that the first six months of life for the development of the immune system and autoimmunity is critical.
The researchers examined 2005 – Medical Records was born in 2007 in Bavaria 295,420 infants. Among them, 720 subjects in the diagnosis of median follow-up period of 85 years with type 1 diabetes – an annual incidence rate of 29/100000.
278 diagnosed with type 1 diabetes subjects and 100,693 did not progress to type 1 diabetes study at birth -2.9 months or 3-5.9 months occurred respiratory infections. Analysis showed that, in the future high risk of type 1 diabetes Children of these ages respiratory infections than the infection did not occur.
Discovering association becomes stronger when both also occur infection and type 1 diabetes occurs between 3-6 months, researchers have explored children occur within the first three months of life respiratory infections. Children age two have an infection with type 1 diabetes whose 5-year cumulative risk of 206/100000, and children occurs in only one age group infected was 142 / 100,000, and in both age groups had happened infected children compared 118/100000.
If the infection is caused by a virus, then the risk of type 1 diabetes increased more. In this case, the 5-year cumulative risk of type 1 diabetes respectively 270 / 100000,145 / 100000 and 120/100000.
The researchers can not be corrected and potential confounding factors, such as type 1 diabetes or a family history of birth whether caesarean section. In addition, the researchers have no specific virus infected data.
For this association reflects the early stage of infection if exposed to the virus or damage to the immune system response is still not clear, perhaps due to the damage caused by a genetic predisposition.
