Screening for type 2 diabetes in children
Starting at age 10 or at the beginning of puberty, a child who has a
body mass index (BMI) in the 85th percentile or higher
for his or her age—or whose weight is more than 120% of ideal—and who has two
of the following risk factors needs to be tested for
type 2 diabetes every 3 years:1
- A parent, brother, or sister with type 2
diabetes
- Hispanic, African-American, Native American,
Asian-American, or Pacific Island ancestry
- Signs of not being able
to use insulin properly (insulin resistance) or conditions associated with it,
such as the skin problem
acanthosis nigricans,
high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, or
polycystic ovary syndrome (a hormone problem that
interferes with
ovulation)
If the results of a blood glucose test indicate that your
child's blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet at the level of diabetes
(prediabetes), the test should be repeated 3 months
later to determine whether your child has developed diabetes.2 If your child eats a balanced diet and gets regular exercise,
he or she may not develop diabetes.
For more information, see the
Interactive tool: What Is Your Child's BMI? and the topic Diabetes Type 2 in
Children.
Citations
-
American Diabetes Association (2009). Standards of
medical care in diabetes. Clinical Practice Recommendations 2009.
Diabetes Care, 32(Suppl 1): S13–S61.
-
Orr DP (2008). Diabetes mellitus. In LS Neinstein,
ed., Adolescent Health Care: A Practical Guide, 5th ed.,
pp. 170–178. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Last Updated:
August 28, 2009
American Diabetes Association (2009). Standards of
medical care in diabetes. Clinical Practice Recommendations 2009.
Diabetes Care, 32(Suppl 1): S13–S61.
Orr DP (2008). Diabetes mellitus. In LS Neinstein,
ed., Adolescent Health Care: A Practical Guide, 5th ed.,
pp. 170–178. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
