Almost a century after insulin was first used to treat type 1 diabetes (T1D), it remains the only approved treatment for the disease.
Efforts are being made at Sanford Health to change that. To that end, families are encouraged to enroll children in a screening research study that could lead to the identification of T1D before symptoms appear.
Early detection would allow early treatment and could lead to improved long-term outcomes for both T1D and celiac disease.
Find out more and sign up: PLEDGE Pediatric Screening Study
By participating in the study, families can help develop better methods of identifying children who are at greater risk of developing T1D.
“It was a really simple process,” said Maren Jensen, a content marketing manager for Sanford Health, whose daughter was included in the study. “I think we will do everything we can to inform our researchers and improve treatment or eradicate the disease.”
Jensen’s father was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 9 years old. Because of this, she is very familiar with the disease from a personal point of view. It motivated her to do everything possible to look after her daughter’s well-being while contributing to research that could advance treatment for the disease.
Important to make an impact
“It is very important to do everything possible to find out about the future of your child’s health,” said Jensen. “I think this applies to Type 1 specifically to me personally because my dad has Type 1. It is important to feel that I am doing something to have an impact on those who may have Type 1 in the future.”
Families of children found to have antibodies to T1D are offered:
- Education, monitoring and early intervention to prevent serious diseases
- Participation in T1D prevention clinical trials that may delay or stop the progression of T1D
- Referral to clinical care for autoantibodies related to celiac disease
Parents who are 18 years of age and older can give their children permission to participate in the study if their child:
- Between birth and 5 years
- Routine care at Sanford Health
- Not diagnosed with T1D
Depending on the age of a child when entering the study, a small amount of blood will be collected during routine care at birth, at age 2, and / or at age 5. Through a child’s seventh birthday, a Sanford research team will send out an annual invitation from My Sanford Chart to update their family history. Families are also asked to complete a short questionnaire about concerns they have about a child developing T1D.
“The fact that Sanford Research is focusing on Type 1 in our own garden is incredibly impressive,” said Jensen. “I think we should do everything we can to provide them with the knowledge they need to further develop this research. It’s super easy and basically a painless process for us to be able to give back to this research team. “
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Posted in Digestive Health, Family Medicine, Research
