About MIDIA
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This project aims to find the environmental causes of type 1 diabetes. Recruitment to the project ended in 2007. Although the original plan was to follow the participants until 15 years of age, they will be asked to continue beyond this age.
MIDIA began in 2001. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health runs the study and is responsible for the data.
Around 47,000 children have been genetically tested for the diabetes risk genes throughout Norway (December 2007). Almost 1,000 children have been diagnosed with a high genetic risk for type 1 diabetes (December 2007). Of these, some have chosen to withdraw from MIDIA but have given consent for their existing data to be used in the project. This means that MIDIA has research data from the follow-up of more than 900 children.
We do not know why some children with "diabetes risk genes" become ill while others remain healthy. This may be due to diet, infections or other factors and is probably due to influences early in life, perhaps in the womb.
Project status
32 children have developed type 1 diabetes (2014) and 40 children have developed "pre-diabetes" (September 2013), which means they tested positive for at least one autoantibody in two subsequent blood samples.
Approximately 600 children and their families are now being followed up.
Recruitment ceased in 2007
The aim of MIDIA was to genetically test 100,000 babies to find the children with the highest known genetic risk for developing type 1 diabetes.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health stopped the recruitment of new participants to the project in 2007, following a decision from the Norwegian Directorate of Health (10.12.07). The Directorate concluded that participation in MIDIA does not provide enough health benefits to meet the requirements of biotechnology regulations.
However, the Directorate emphasised that MIDIA participants should continue to receive an appropriate and medically necessary follow-up from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
When recruitment was completed, MIDIA had data from over 900 children.
