Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Rare Neonatal Diabetes Can Remit, Then Return Later
Neonatal diabetes is a rare type of diabetes that babies can develop during their first six months.
It happens because a gene affects how the baby’s pancreas makes insulin.
This is different from type 1 diabetes, which involves the immune system, and type 2 diabetes, which involves insulin resistance.
In some babies, the pancreas becomes better at making insulin as it grows.
Their diabetes may then go away for a while, which is called remission.
However, the gene change is still present, so diabetes can return later.
Puberty, major weight gain, pregnancy, or physical stress may place extra demands on the pancreas.
Parents should watch for thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, or tiredness.
Doctors may recommend genetic testing and regular blood-sugar checks even when the child seems healthy.
Neonatal diabetes appears within the first six months of life and is caused by a genetic fault affecting insulin release.
The genes KCNJ11 and ABCC8 are among those commonly involved in the condition.
Some forms, particularly those linked to chromosome 6 abnormalities, can temporarily improve as the pancreas matures.
Transient neonatal diabetes affects close to half of all cases, but the condition may return during adolescence or adulthood.
Puberty, weight gain, pregnancy, or physical stress can increase relapse risk, making ongoing glucose monitoring important.
- Who
- Babies with neonatal diabetes and their families; the condition was explained by Kanikka Malhotra, a consultant dietician and diabetes educator.
- What
- Neonatal diabetes is a rare, genetically caused form of diabetes that may temporarily go into remission and later return.
- When
- It is diagnosed within the first six months of life; relapse may occur during adolescence, early adulthood, or other periods of metabolic stress.
- Why
- A single gene fault affects how pancreatic beta cells sense glucose and release insulin; in some forms, pancreatic maturation temporarily improves insulin production.
- Typical onset
- Within the first six months of life
- Underlying cause
- A single gene fault affecting insulin production and release
- Commonly involved genes
- KCNJ11 and ABCC8
- Remission pattern
- Some forms improve as the pancreas matures, allowing babies to stop insulin temporarily
- Affected cases
- Transient neonatal diabetes affects close to half of all cases
- Possible relapse timing
- Often during adolescence or early adulthood
- Potential relapse triggers
- Puberty, significant weight gain, pregnancy, or physical stress
- Monitoring
- Periodic glucose or HbA1c checks may be recommended after symptoms disappear