The Hygiene Hypothesis and Risk of Type 1 Diabetes in Children

Improved living conditions and hygiene may be contributing to the rise of type 1 diabetes in children, but does the "hygiene hypothesis" fully explain the onset of type 1 diabetes in this population? What factors might explain the increased incidence of type 1 diabetes among pediatric patients in the US, Sweden and Finland, in particular? Dr. Carolyn Paris, pediatrician and emergency medicine specialist at the Center for Clinical and Translational Research at Seattle Children's Hospital, explores the indirect evidence that examines environmental influences in the development of type 1 diabetes in children. Dr. Mary Leuchars hosts.