Seasonality of Birth in Children (0-14 years) and Young Adults (0-29 years) with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Sardinia Differs from that in the General Population

Abstract

A cohort of 1,118 children (0-14 years) and 810 adolescents and young adults (15-29 years) with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) diagnosed in Sardinia between 1989 and 1998 were analyzed for seasonality of month of birth, and compared to the pattern registered in 314,084 live births. Patients with DM of both age groups had a statistically significant different seasonality pattern from the general population, revealing an increased birth rate during the summer months, a mirror image of the seasonality of onset of disease.