diabetes type 1 causes

Hi, my ten years old son has just been diagnosed with diabetes type one. The doctor explained the situation to us. He also talked about the treatment and the changes we will have to make in our lives. I am very worried about my son. I don't understand how did this happen. He was never seriously ill, so this was quite a shock. Could you tell me what are the causes of diabetes type 1?

Hi, judging from your words I get the feeling you think that somehow you could have prevented this from happening. I can see that you believe you are guilty for your son's condition. You shouldn't feel this way. Diabetes type one is a condition you could not have possibly prevented. There is nothing you could have done in order to stop the illness from occurring. So you should stop blaming yourself. Diabetes type one is a very serious condition. It is caused by some kind of autoimmune reaction. This means that your son's immune system started to attack his pancreas cells responsible for the production of insulin. This reaction started some time ago, but the condition could not have been discovered until the levels of insulin got so low that your son started to feel the consequences. Why this immune reaction takes place is not yet quite clear. It is thought that hereditary factors play a role, but only up to a point. The genes make a person susceptible for diabetes type one, but it is an environmental factor that actually triggers the reaction. This can be a viral reaction or some kind of other stressful experience. You should not despair, but show strength and courage. If your son sees you are there for him he will deal with his condition more easily.