Question
A patient developed diabetes at the age of 9 due to pancreatitis caused by a viral flu and had a certain type of cell implantation in 2009. The patient now uses insulin treatment three times a day. The patient wants to know if diabetes will be inherited by the next generation if they have children.
Answer
If both parents have diabetes, their children are not 100% likely to have diabetes; only a 5% chance of inheritance. If only one parent has diabetes, the likelihood of the child having the disease is even lower. Diabetes inheritance is often seen across generations, so there is no need to be overly concerned about the risk of inheritance. For male diabetics, as long as the sperm quality is normal, they can have normal fertility. For female diabetics, insulin should be started three months before pregnancy and continued until breastfeeding ends to avoid causing fetal death, miscarriage, or malformation. The specific use of insulin should be done under the guidance of an experienced doctor. Wishing the patient good health!