Type 2 Diabetes: Screening for Children
Topic Overview
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 one of the following risk factors needs to be tested for type 2 diabetes every 3 years:footnote 1
- A parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
- The child’s mother developed gestational diabetes while pregnant with the child
- 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:
- A skin problem, acanthosis nigricans
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (a hormone problem that interferes with ovulation)
- Born small in weight and/or length
If the results of a blood glucose test mean that your child’s blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet at the level of diabetes, he or she has prediabetes. 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 Type 2 Diabetes in Children.
References
Citations
- American Diabetes Association (2019). Standards of medical care in diabetes—2019. Diabetes Care, 42(Suppl 1): S1–S193. Accessed December 17, 2018.
Other Works Consulted
- American Diabetes Association (2000). Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. Diabetes Care, 23(3): 381–389.
Current as of: April 16, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:John Pope MD – Pediatrics & Kathleen Romito MD – Family Medicine & Adam Husney MD – Family Medicine & Matthew I. Kim MD – Endocrinology & David C.W. Lau MD, PhD, FRCPC – Endocrinology
Topic Contents
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