Childhood type 1 diagnosis can result in reduced parental incomes, research shows

Parents, especially mothers, of children with type 1 diabetes may experience reduced incomes, according to a study of families in Sweden reported in Diabetologia. Researchers found that while parental income initially increased after a child’s diagnosis due to a care allowance, it decreased over eight years, with mothers of preschool-aged children being most affecte

 

 

 

 

Reduced parental incomes are common among parents with children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, new research has demonstrated.

Academics from Uppsala University in Sweden have found that parents of children with type 1 diabetes are at risk of seeing their income drop, particularly mothers.

Parental income drops were most pronounced among mothers with preschool-aged children diagnosed with the condition.

 

 

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition where the body does not produce insulin – a hormone crucial for regulating blood sugar levels.

This means the body cannot effectively convert glucose from food into energy, leading to high blood sugar levels. It is typically diagnosed in childhood or young adulthood, but can occur at any age.

 

 

More than 1,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in Sweden each year. The responsibility of monitoring the condition usually falls onto the parents, meaning they may need to reduce their working hours to manage the condition, which can be a full-time job.

 

 

Lead author Professor Beatrice Kennedy said: “In our study, we observed reduced parental work-related incomes in the years following the child’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis.

“The drop was larger in mothers than in fathers. Since mothers earned significantly less than fathers in absolute terms, even before the child fell ill, the relative drop in mothers was 6.6 per cent the year following diagnosis compared to 1.5 per cent in fathers.”

 

 

She added: “We further note the greatest impact on work-related incomes in mothers of the children diagnosed at preschool age.”

During the trial, the team of researchers analysed the financial incomes of parents with children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and those who have children not with the condition.

 

 

They discovered that the parental income of those who have children with type 1 diabetes initially increased after the child’s diagnosis of the condition due to parental care allowance from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.

However, over eight years this allowance gradually reduced, leaving the parents of children with type 1 diabetes down on their income.

 

 

 

Joint author Tove Fall said: “In this study, we have focused on the income effects in parents of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. However, parenting children with other chronic childhood-onset conditions may entail similar income consequences.

“Our findings indicate that there is room for improvement in the societal targeted support to mothers of children with chronic conditions, to ensure that the financial impact of caring for a child with health concerns is alleviated.”

 

 

From www.diabetes.co.uk

 

 

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https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-025-06492-6

 

The impact of child type 1 diabetes on parental incomes in a welfare state context: quasi-experimental evidence from Swedish national registers

 

 

• Beatrice Kennedy,
• Mona-Lisa Wernroth,
• Sophie Langenskiöld,
• Carl Bonander,
• Liisa Byberg,
• Erik Grönqvist &
• Tove Fall

 

 

• Aims/hypothesis

The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes on parental incomes in a Nordic welfare state.

 

 

• Methods

In this register-based quasi-experimental study, we included the parents of 13,358 children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in Sweden from 1993 to 2014 together with 506,516 population-based matched control parents. A difference-in-differences approach was used to compare income trajectories between exposed parents and control parents. Work-related and pension-qualifying incomes (including parental benefits) were assessed during the first 7 years after diagnosis. The long-term incomes of parents of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1993–2004 were also investigated.

 

 

• Results

A sharp decline in work-related income was observed in both mothers and fathers of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. In the year after diagnosis, the mean yearly income difference (expressed in €100) was –15.4 for mothers (95% CI –17.2, –13.6) and –6.0 for fathers (95% CI –8.9, –3.2), representing a relative decrease of 6.6% and 1.6%, respectively. The effects on income were similar across sociodemographic groups and calendar periods. The pension-qualifying income of mothers increased in the first year after diagnosis by 28.7 (95% CI 27.1, 30.3), attributable to the parental care allowance, but gradually decreased during long-term follow-up (–10.9, 95% CI –16.6, –5.1, after 17 years).

 

 

• Conclusions/interpretation

This study highlights the enduring financial consequences for parents caring for a child with type 1 diabetes in Sweden. While parental benefits in Sweden mitigated the short-term loss of maternal income, the current welfare system does not adequately address long-term consequences.

 

 

 

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