Researchers are still working on finding a definitive answer to what causes childhood diabetes. That definitive answer remains elusive, but much has been learned along the way. All of the factors that can lead to childhood diabetes aren’t known yet, but it has been determined that the susceptibility to the condition, known as type 1 diabetes, can be inherited. That said, what causes childhood diabetes to occur more in whites than blacks, yet equally in males and females remains a mystery. In the United states, about one out of every 250 people have type 1 diabetes, with the condition usually appearing before the age of 20.

Environmental factors are part of what causes childhood diabetes. It seems that type 1 diabetes can occur when something in the environment triggers the body’s immune system to attack the pancreas and destroy the beta cells of the organ. The beta cells are …