Detecting Diabetes Early RECOGNIZE THE RISKS AND SYMPTOMS When you consider the threat of diabetes to your family, you might be concerned for your parents, great-aunts and uncles or yourself. The last members you may consider at risk are your kids. Unfortunately, a growing number of children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes each day. “Type 1 diabetes, which is caused by a defect in the immune system, used to be called ‘juvenile diabetes’ because it was the only instance of diabetes in children,” says Sumana Sundararajan, MD. “Children with type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the insulin produced by the body does not work correctly, have increased from 2 to 4 percent of diabetes patients in the early 1990s, but now make up more than 25 percent of those patients today. While genetic susceptibility may play a role, environmental, social and behavioral factors seem to have the greatest impact.” This increase of type 2 diabetes in children is a global trend, and obesity is the consistent, leading cause. Overweight children produce too much insulin on a regular basis, so when they need more, they can’t produce more. Choosing healthy foods for your child to snack on and planning at least 30 minutes of exercise for your child each day can help them control their weight and decrease the possibility of insulin resistance. “This is critically important because the risk for developing other health problems, such as nerve damage, heart disease and stroke increase the longer you have diabetes,” Dr. Sundararajan says. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented in kids the same way it is prevented in adults. Screenings are necessary to determine if your child is at high risk because the symptoms are not always obvious. The various approaches to treating type 2 diabetes include weight management with attention to diet and lifestyle modifications along with one or more medications that can help the body respond better to its own insulin. “The most important thing you can do to help your child avoid, or live with, diabetes is to set a good example,” Dr. Sundararajan says. “By making some of the lifestyle changes yourself, you can improve the whole family’s health and eliminate some controllable causes of diabetes.” TRY OUR GREAT RECIPE For Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies, created for kids with type 2 diabetes. Visit www.rainbowbabies.org/Recipes.aspx. SCREENING DIABETES The following signs may indicate that your child is at high risk: Frequent urination Continual thirst Extreme fatigue Development of dark skin around the neck, groin, and armpits or between fingers and toes For girls, infrequent or skipped periods or facial hair growth are also indicators SUMANA SUNDARARAJAN, MD Endocrinologist, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital