Positive diabetes autoantibodies

What are positive diabetes autoantibodies?

• Diabetes autoantibodies are markers in the body that can be seen on a blood test. They show how likely it is that your child will get type 1 diabetes (T1D).
• A person has a higher chance of getting type 1 diabetes if a parent or sibling has type 1 diabetes.
• If your child tests positive for two or more antibodies, they can be seen in our clinic. 

How is it treated?

There are a few options if your child has two or more positive antibodies:

1. Watch and wait. Your child could be seen by our team a few times a year. The team will check to see if they are getting closer to having diabetes. Knowing this information will give you and your child time to prepare. It may also help keep your child from getting very sick before they are diagnosed with diabetes.
2. Research. Your child could be involved in studies for new treatments. Our team is happy to discuss ways to do this.
3. TZIELD. If your child is 8 years or older, they may be able to take a medicine before symptoms begin. This might help delay the start of T1D.

• Learn more about antibody screening.