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Picturing Our Past Carpenter awarded one of four Brookdale fellowships Do adult children really know what their parents want? How accurate are adult caregivers at predicting an older parent's preferences for medical care, housing, transportation, social activities and end-of-life care? Full story More Stories
				The trigger effect Study investigates how to prevent childhood diabetes By Diane Duke Williams Researchers are seeking pregnant women who have Type 1 diabetes or who have a spouse or another child with the disease for a study on preventing diabetes. The study, called the "Trial to Reduce IDDM in the Genetically at Risk (TRIGR)," is the first to evaluate whether Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, can be prevented in children. It will enroll 3,000 newborns worldwide. Neil White, M.D., professor of pediatrics, is the local principal investigator for the 10-year study. TRIGR will study whether breast milk or a special formula (Nutramigen) instead of cow's milk formula during the first six months of life can reduce Type 1 diabetes in newborns with a genetic risk for the disease. These are children who have one or more immediate family members -- mother, father or sibling -- with insulin-dependent diabetes. Onset of Type 1 diabetes during early childhood has become more common during the past few decades. Some studies have suggested that babies who are breastfed only briefly and then given standard cow's milk formula may increase the risk of this type of diabetes. But at the same time, animal studies suggest that special formulas that are given to babies with allergies may actually prevent diabetes. The TRIGR study will investigate both questions. After a baby enrolled in the study is born, an umbilical cord blood sample will be collected and sent off for genetic testing to find out if the baby is at risk for Type 1 diabetes. Babies found at risk then will be randomly assigned to receive Nutramigen or a standard cow's milk formula if the mother stops breastfeeding before the baby is 6 months to 8 months old. White will recruit 200 children locally for this study. For more information, call 286-1162.

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