Rise in Childhood Diabetes Alarms Physicians

The number of children diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is on the rise – exposing them to serious health risks associated with a disease traditionally referred to as adult-onset diabetes.

“We are seeing an alarming shift in the paradigm of a disease that once was thought to afflict only adults in their 40s and older,” said Siripoom V. McKay, M.D., a diabetes and endocrine specialist at Texas Children’s Hospital and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine. “Before 1995, less than 5 percent of our newly diagnosed pediatric diabetes patients were Type 2. Last year, that figure rose to 31 percent.”

The Centers for Disease Control Approximates that 16 million people in the United States have diabetes. Of those Americans, more than 90 percent are Type 2 diabetics. Although Type 1 still accounts for the majority of childhood diabetes cases, the rise in adolescent obesity has increased the incidence of Type 2 dramatically.

“Although we have seen children as young as 5 years old with Type 2 diabetes, more commonly the mean age of children diagnosed with Type 2 is 13-and-one-half years old,” said McKay. “This youthful trend presents medical concerns, particularly in the case of Type 2 diabetes where the duration of the disease creates greater health risks.”

CDC statistics show that diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Type 2 diabetes – a metabolic disorder resulting from the body’s inability to make enough or properly use insulin – can result in several life-threatening complications, including blindness, kidney disease, nerve disease, lower-extremity amputations, heart disease and stroke.

“Unlike the attention-getting physical symptoms of Type 1, Type 2 diabetes presents acute symptoms that might not be as noticeable to parents,” said Sue McGirk, diabetes research nurse coordinator at Texas Children’s diabetes care center.

Symptoms of diabetes include fatigue, frequent urination, extreme thirst and hunger, vision changes and unexpected weight loss. Specifically for Type 2 diabetes, a darkening around the neck often is present. Additional risk factors are inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, a family history of diabetes and ethnicity.

“Parents need to be aware of their family’s medical history and to discuss it with their child’s doctor,” said McKay. “Children of family members with Type 2 are clearly at greater risk. Those of African-American, Mexican, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander descent also have an increased risk of developing the disease.”

Diabetes is a life-long condition that often requires a permanent change in lifestyle. By ensuring that family members avoid large food portions, eat healthy by controlling the intake of fat and calories and remain physically active, parents can help prevent the onset of diabetes.

“It is extremely important that families make health and fitness apart of their daily activity,” said McKay. “Parents should also understand that fitness doesn’t solely equate to weight loss. Children who are physically active reduce their risk of health complications in general.”

To assist families in their transition to a healthier lifestyle, Texas Children’s offers a comprehensive, 16-hour training program to patients and their family members diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

For more information, visit www.texaschildrenshospital.org, click on patient care centers and then diabetes.

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URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/09_01_02/page_18.html