What are the different types of diabetes?
Type 1 (insulin-dependent or juvenile)
Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes) can occur at any age, but most commonly is diagnosed from infancy to the late 30s. In this type of diabetes, a person's pancreas produces little or no insulin. Although the causes are not entirely known, scientists believe the body's own defense system (the immune system) attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. People with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin several times every day.

Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset)
Type 2 diabetes typically develops after age 40, but can appear earlier, and has more recently begun to appear with more frequency in children. In this form of diabetes the pancreas still produces insulin, but the body does not produce enough or is not able to use it effectively. Treatment includes diet control, exercise, self-monitoring of blood glucose and, in some cases, oral drugs or insulin.

Monogenic Diabetes
Type 1 and 2 diabetes are polygenic diseases, meaning the risk of developing these forms of diabetes is related to multiple genes. But some rare forms of diabetes result from mutations in a single gene and are called monogenic; they are sometimes mistaken for type 1.

Gestational Diabetes
About 2 to 5 percent of pregnant women develop high blood sugar during pregnancy. Although this type of diabetes usually disappears after the birth of the baby, women who have had gestational diabetes are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

What are the symptoms of type 1 diabetes?
The symptoms may occur suddenly, and include one or more of the following:

Extreme thirst
Frequent urination
Drowsiness, lethargy
Sugar in urine
Sudden vision changes
Increased appetite
Sudden weight loss
Fruity, sweet, or wine-like odor on breath
Heavy, labored breathing
Stupor, unconsciousness
If you think you have diabetes, call a doctor immediately, and drink fluids WITHOUT SUGAR to prevent dehydration.

Is type 1 diabetes hereditary?
Ninety percent of children who develop type 1 diabetes actually have no relative with the disease. Thanks to studies of families, researchers now can identify at birth when a baby carries some of the genes that indicate risk factors for type 1 diabetes. Certain genes called HLA markers are associated with diabetes risk. If a child is born with such markers, his or her risk of developing type 1 diabetes is about the same as if he or she had a sibling with type 1 diabetes, even though no other family member may have the disease. There are other genes that also create risk for juvenile diabetes that have not yet been identified.

How did my child get type 1 diabetes? We have no family history.
Although the causes of type 1 diabetes are not entirely known, scientists believe the body's own immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It is not caused by obesity or by eating excessive sugar, which are two common myths about type 1. Both genetics and environmental "triggers" are being studied as potential causes of type 1 diabetes.

According to William Winter, M.D., a professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, "At most, only 15 percent of people with type 1 diabetes have an affected first-degree relative - a sibling, parent, or offspring. Research suggests that genes account for less than half the risk of developing type 1 diabetes. These findings suggest that there are other factors besides genes that influence the development of diabetes."

How long will my child have type 1 diabetes? Can you outgrow it? What is the life expectancy?
At this point, type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease, meaning you never outgrow it. However, JDRF is doing everything in its power to find a cure in your child's lifetime. We were founded in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, who made a promise similar to the one all JDRF volunteers have made to their loved ones with type 1 diabetes -- the promise to find a cure.

Life expectancy is very difficult to predict -- just as each child is unique so will be their experiences with type 1 diabetes. On average, the current life expectancy of a child with type 1 diabetes is shortened by 7-10 years, but this number has been trending down in recent years with advances in technology and treatment options. The best thing you can do is listen and learn from the experiences of others while also responding to your child's individual needs -- avoid blaming yourself or your child when things don't go smoothly. The reality is that type 1 diabetes is a difficult disease to manage, but we have come a long way and the technology is getting better all the time. Take advantage of the people, products, and other resources available to you.

What foods should a person with type 1 diabetes eat/avoid?
You'll be pleased to learn how many different foods can be included in the diet of a person with type 1 diabetes. Once you get into the habit of eating less fat and smaller portions of a variety of nutritious foods, you and your entire family will benefit.

Fat restriction is very important for those with type 1 diabetes because high cholesterol and diabetes are two of the four risk factors for developing heart disease.  Some tips:

• Don't fry foods - bake, broil, poach, or sauté in non-stick pans.
• Steam or microwave vegetables.
• Make ice cream, butter, and whole milk cheese an occasional treat.
• Eat less high-fat red meat and more low-fat turkey, fish, and chicken with the skin removed before cooking.
• Avoid refined sugar, or at least limit its use.  Several kinds of artificial sweeteners are available, but talk to your doctor or dietitian about them.
• Restrict salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure. This is particularly important for people with type 1 diabetes - as is anything that threatens the circulatory system. 
• Replace diets high in animal protein with meals high in complex carbohydrates, which are starches found in breads, cereals, starchy vegetables, legumes, rice, and pastas. 
• Choose whole-grain cereals, breads, and other products such as brown rice, kasha, bulgur, and barley. 
• Eat fresh vegetables and fruits, unpeeled. Avoid overcooking vegetables.

JDRF Kids Online has additional information on healthy eating for kids with type 1 diabetes and their parents.

What's the latest research information? Is there a cure in sight?
This is the question JDRF is actually best equipped to answer, as the only major type 1 diabetes organization focused exclusively on research. JDRF is the number one nonprofit, nongovernmental funder of type 1 diabetes research worldwide and our mission is constant: to find a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Since our founding in 1970 by parents of children with juvenile diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.3 billion to type 1 diabetes research (including $156 million in FY2008). JDRF is proud to say that more than 85% of our expenditures go directly to research and education about research. We have been instrumental in establishing a focus on the needs of all people with type 1 diabetes, which has helped set the world's juvenile diabetes research agenda to find a cure, and we are witnessing significant research progress. In fact, after more than 38 years, we can now confidently state that, for the first time ever, a cure for type 1 diabetes is not only possible, but likely. To find out the latest in type 1 diabetes research news, you can do several things: subscribe to Countdown magazine; subscribe to JDRF's Research Frontline e-newsletter; review the Research pages on this site; and check our homepage, which is updated with new stories frequently.