Introduction of pasteurized/raw cow’s milk during the second semester of life as a risk factor of type 1 diabetes mellitus in school children and adolescents

Abstract

Objective: to demonstrate that type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in school children and adolescents is associated with the early introduction of pasteurized/raw cow’s milk in the second semester of life. Material and methods: this non-probabilistic study included 150 subjects (75 patients and 75 controls), divided according to sex and age (range, 6 to 16 years). T1DM was considered to be a dependent variable, and pasteurized/ raw cow’s milk (P/RCM) was considered to be an independent variable in the study. The statistical analyses included chi-squared test, odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals. Results: the subjects were 51% male, age 11 ± 3.2 years, and 80% were breastfed, 18% were exclusively breastfed, and 13% received pasteurized/raw cow’s milk. The children receiving P/RCM had a higher risk of T1DM [OR, 3.9 (1.2-12.8)]. The presence of T1DM was three times higher in those consuming P/RCM vs. those receiving follow-up formula [RM, 3.2 (1.03-10.07)]. Conclusions: introducing pasteurized/raw cow’s milk in the second semester of life increased by four times the likelihood of developing T1DM in children and adolescents.