Australia’s largest study into the causes of type 1 diabetes reached a significant milestone when it recruited its first family in Perth with three children recently.
Sam Turner was diagnosed with type 1 when he was 31 and his wife Ashling was 10 weeks’ pregnant with their first child.
Ashling said she found out about ENDIA — which aims to follow 1400 babies from pregnancy through to childhood to determine which factors trigger, or protect, the development of type 1 diabetes — from her midwife. The ENDIA study is run in Perth by the Children’s Diabetes Centre (CDC), based at The Kids Research Institute Australia.
“I was keen to be involved so we could contribute our family data for the study,” Ashling said.
“Of course, at that stage, I had no idea we would end up with three boys under three.”
Howard, three in May, Patrick, 18 months, and Leonard, four months, are now all contributing to this important research.
“Our ENDIA nurse (Alex Tully from the CDC) has been such a lovely friend to us,” Ashling said.
“I met her when I was pregnant with Howard and she has been the first person to see me after each birth as she collected the birth samples — cord blood, placenta, colostrum, baby’s first poo.
“We now provide samples from each of the children at regular intervals.
“I enjoy being a part of ENDIA and am pleased that we will continue to be as the boys grow up.”
The Turners are one of 174 families recruited to the study in WA — and one of nearly 1250 families nationally.
Professor Elizabeth Davis, the lead investigator for WA’s ENDIA Study and co-director of the CDC, said ENDIA was a landmark study trying to discover why type 1 diabetes happens and how we may be able to prevent it.
“We are over the halfway mark of the study and are looking forward to the study outcomes,” she said.
The study seeks men, women and children living with type 1 diabetes who are about to welcome a new baby to the family to participate.
For more information, visit www.endia.org.au or email endia@adelaide.edu.au.
Caption: (L-R) Paddy, Sam, Howie, Ashling and Lenny Turner.