What are risk factors for diabetes in children?
There are several risk factors for kids who have type 2 diabetes. Being overweight is a risk factor, as is having high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol. Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans and perhaps Asian Americans are at higher risk. There seem to be more female adolescents who have type 2 diabetes than males. Kids who have family histories of type 2 diabetes are at risk. Another risk factor is maternal gestational diabetes. So if a child’s mother had diabetes while she was pregnant, that child is at higher risk of diabetes. Which kids should be screened for diabetes? The American Diabetes Association recommends screening for kids who have a body mass index (BMI) greater than the 85th percentile for their age and sex and who have at least two other risk factors. For these children, testing should be done every two years in children starting at age 10 or earlier if puberty begins sooner. This recommendation is being adopted by some institutions but was never tested.
