Diabetes Diabetes Basics

Not for Adults Only: Diabetes in Kids

How do you know which type of diabetes a child has?
In determining the type of diabetes a child has, we look at many factors, including a family history of diabetes, weight, a physical exam and laboratory studies. Sometimes the diagnosis can be made right away, but sometimes it can only be determined by watching the progression of the disease.

In what age are you starting to see type 2 diabetes develop in children?
It's been reported in 8 year olds. But 12 to 13 years is a very common age for presentation.

What do you attribute the rise in diabetes rates among children to?
At least part of the rise is due to the presence of insulin resistance in some kids today, probably from obesity and being less active. Some youth don't have the ability to make more insulin to compensate for this resistance, and therefore they develop diabetes. According to a nationwide survey, 15 percent of kids are obese. And there's an even larger population that's at risk of becoming obese or overweight. We also know that we live in an environment where exercise is not always a part of daily life.

Whether the environment we live in, the food we eat or genetics cause some children to have problems with making insulin is being studied right now.

What are risk factors for diabetes in children?
There are several risk factors for kids who have type 2 diabetes. Being overweight is a risk factor, as is having high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol. Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans and perhaps Asian Americans are at higher risk. There seem to be more female adolescents who have type 2 diabetes than males. Kids who have family histories of type 2 diabetes are at risk. Another risk factor is maternal gestational diabetes. So if a child's mother had diabetes while she was pregnant, that child is at higher risk of diabetes.

Which kids should be screened for diabetes?
The American Diabetes Association recommends screening for kids who have a body mass index (BMI) greater than the 85th percentile for their age and sex and who have at least two other risk factors. For these children, testing should be done every two years in children starting at age 10 or earlier if puberty begins sooner. This recommendation is being adopted by some institutions but was never tested. At the very least, youth with multiple risk factors and those who have symptoms should be screened.

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