Screening Tests for Children (Ages 2 to 12)

Type 2 diabetes, the sixth leading cause of death in Americans, has become a concern for children and adolescents. About 177,000 young people under 20 years of age have diabetes. Developing the disease early in life means the individual will most likely suffer many more of the damaging blood sugar spikes. This increases the risk of serious health problems earlier in adulthood, such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and foot amputations due to nerve damage.

Overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity are all contributing factors, and they too have become national health problems. As public health experts work to educate Americans on what to do to avoid this disease and its serious complications, parents and children should be aware that eating habits and activity choices can be changed to lower an individual’s risk of developing diabetes and of suffering the complications from the disease as their lives progress.

An overweight youth with just 2 other known risk factors faces a substantial risk of having or developing type 2 diabetes, warns the American Diabetes Association. The following risk factors are important to monitor:

• Being overweight
• Having a close relative with type 2 diabetes
• Being American Indian, Alaska Native, African American, Latino/Hispanic, Asian American, or Pacific Islander
• Signs of or conditions associated with insulin resistance, including acanthosis nigricans, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Birth mother has diabetes or had gestational diabetes

The American Diabetes Association makes the following screening recommendation:

• An overweight youth who has 2 or more risk factors should be screened every 2 years for diabetes, starting at 10 years of age or the onset of puberty if that occurs earlier. Screening for diabetes often involves glucose testing and sometimes a glucose tolerance test.

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Links
Information to help parents learn how to lower their child’s chances of developing diabetes is available from the Joslin Diabetes Center and the American Diabetes Association.

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Sources

American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes. Jan 2005. Diabetes Care 28(suppl 1):S4-S36. Available online at http://care.diabetesjournals.org. Accessed 8 Jan 2008.

American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes. II. Screening for diabetes. Jan 2007. Diabetes Care 30(suppl 1):S5-7. Available online from the National Guidelines Clearinghouse at http://www.guidelines.gov. Accessed 24 Jan 2008.

Gahagan S, Silverstein J, Committee on Native American Child Health and Section on Endocrinology. Prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children, with special emphasis on American Indian and Alaska native children. Oct 2003. Pediatrics 112(4):e328-e328. Available online at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org. Accessed 8 Jan 2008.

National Diabetes Education Program, National Institutes of Health. Information on diabetes in children and young people: resources on children and adolescents. Available online at http://www.ndep.nih.gov. Accessed 8 Jan 2008.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes fact sheet 2005: national estimates on diabetes. Last reviewed 7 Jul 2007. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov. Accessed 8 Jan 2008.

National Diabetes Education Program, National Institutes of Health. Resources on children and adolescents. Available online at http://www.ndep.nih.gov. Accessed 30 Aug 2004 and 8 Jan 2008.

Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority. Type 2 diabetes: reduce your child’s risk now. In: In Your Health (newsletter). Summer 2006. PDF available for download at http://www.sbrha.org. Accessed 8 Jan 2008.

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, National Institutes of Health. Am I at risk for type 2 diabetes? (NIH pub. 04-4805) Apr 2004. Available online at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov. Accessed 19 Jul 2004 and 8 Jan 2008.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC issues statements on diabetes issues: lifetime risk for diabetes mellitus in the United States. (Original source: Naryan KMB, Boyle JP, Thompson TJ, Sorensen SW, Williamson DF. Lifetime risk for diabetes mellitus in the United States. Oct 2003. JAMA 8;290(14):1884-1890.) Available online at http://www.cdc.gov. Accessed 30 Aug 2004 and 9 Jan 2008.

National Diabetes Education Program, National Institutes of Health. Resources on children and adolescents. Available online at http://www.ndep.nih.gov. Accessed 30 Aug 2004 and 8 Jan 2008.

American Diabetes Association. Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. Mar 2000. Diabetes Care 23(3):381. Available online at http://care.diabetesjournals.org. Accessed 19 Jul 2004.