Decreased Incidence of Type 1 Diabetes in Young Finnish Children

OBJECTIVE The incidence of type 1 diabetes has been rising for decades, particularly among young children. Between 2006 and 2011, the incidence rate (IR) reached a plateau in Finland. In this observational, register-based cohort study, we assess recent trends in the disease rate in Finnish children.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Based on data from the Finnish Pediatric Diabetes Register, we studied the incidence of type 1 diabetes among children younger than 15 years of age between 2003 and 2018. We assessed sex-specific IRs per 100,000 person-years (PY) by 4-year time periods in three age-groups (0.50–4.99, 5.00–9.99, and 10.00–14.99 years).

RESULTS Among the 7,871 children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, the median age at diagnosis increased from 7.88 to 8.33 years (P = 0.001), while the overall IR decreased from 57.9/100,000 PY in 2003–2006 to 52.2/100,000 PY in 2015–2018, yielding an IR ratio (IRR) of 0.90 (95% CI 0.85–0.96, P = 0.001). This decline was mainly due to the decrease in the youngest age-group (IRR 0.77 [95% CI 0.68–0.87]; P < 0.001), being significant both among boys and girls. In the middle age-group, a significant decrease was observed only among girls. No changes were observed in the oldest children.

CONCLUSIONS The incidence of type 1 diabetes decreased among young Finnish children between 2003 and 2018. Current findings imply that environmental factors driving the immune system toward islet autoimmunity are changing in young children.