Local Investigators: Tim Jones, Liz Davis
Study Staff: Wayne Soon, Alexandra Tully
This is a multi-centre study involving researchers in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland. The study is coordinated by Prof Jenny Couper in South Australia.
This prospective cohort follows children who are at risk of developing T1D from the gestational period into the first 3 years of life. Pregnant women who have type 1 diabetes or where their unborn child has a first degree relative with T1D are recruited to the study. The infants are monitored for genotype, weight gain, insulin sensitivity, changes in the metabolome and microbiome, vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acid status, and the timing and frequency of viral infections. This is in order to determine the relationship between weight gain, insulin sensitivity, nutritional status and viral infection, and the development of persistent islet autoimmunity in these children.
The primary outcome measure is islet autoimmunity defined as persistent elevation of > 1 islet autoantibodies on consecutive 6 monthly tests, including the most recent. This will exclude transient, low titre autoantibodies.
Plain language summary: This study is looking for the causes of type 1 diabetes, so that we can find ways to prevent it. Type 1 diabetes in children is twice as common as it was 20 years ago. This is because of the environment that we live in has changed and this has made it more likely for a child at risk to develop Type 1 diabetes. We are asking women who are pregnant and either have type 1 diabetes, or who have a family member with type 1 diabetes, who will be a first degree relative of the unborn child, to participate in the study. We will follow many women around Australia during pregnancy until early childhood, looking at the childs birth, environment and genes.
Funder: NHMRC 1025082