Type 2 Diabetes: Screening for Children
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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 two 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:
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 (2017). Standards of medical care in diabetes-2017. Diabetes Care, 40(Suppl 1): S1-S135.
Other Works Consulted
- American Diabetes Association (2000). Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. Diabetes Care, 23(3): 381-389.
Credits
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer
John Pope, MD, MPH - Pediatrics
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer
Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
David C. W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology
Current as ofDecember 7, 2017
Current as of:
December 7, 2017
American Diabetes Association (2017). Standards of medical care in diabetes-2017. Diabetes Care, 40(Suppl 1): S1-S135.