PERINATAL DETERMINANTS AMONG CHILDREN WHO LATER DEVELOP IDDM

OBJECTIVE- The aim of this study was to investigate whether children w ho develop insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) differ in some a spects from a matched control group at the time of birth. RESEARCH DES IGN AND METHODS- We studied all children who were born in Denmark duri ng the period 1973-1977 and admitted to a Danish hospital with a diagn osis of IDDM during 1978-1989. The study was conducted by combining tw o nationwide registries, The National Patient Registry and The Birth R egistry. RESULTS - The criteria were fulfilled by 837 children. Data r egarding the age of the parents, the number of previous pregnancies of the mother, the month of birth, and the birth weight and length of th e children who developed IDDM were compared with the data of an age- a nd sex-matched control group of 837 children without IDDM. We did not detect any significant differences between the two groups with respect to the parameters studied. CONCLUSIONS- No differences in perinatal d eterminants could be demonstrated among Danish children who develop ID DM compared with children without diabetes.