Type 2 diabetes used to be a problem for adults. But it is being diagnosed with greater frequency in children, according to endocrinologist Joseph H. Hines, MD.
Recent medical research indicates that the rising national obesity rate is a likely cause of the increasing rate of childhood type 2 diabetes.
“The implications of this trend are frightening,” says Dr. Hines. “Left unchecked, childhood type 2 diabetes could result in serious medical conditions, such as coronary disease, in a much younger population.”
Typical symptoms of the disorder can include fatigue, nausea, frequent urination, excessive thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, slow healing of wounds or sores, and constant hunger. However, Dr. Hines warns that many children with type 2 diabetes may exhibit no symptoms at diagnosis.
Parents need to be particularly aware of the risk factors associated with the disease. In addition to being overweight or obese, the risk factors for childhood type 2 diabetes include:
- Family History—Between 74 and 100 percent of adolescents diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have a family history of the disorder.
- Puberty—Typically, children with type 2 diabetes are diagnosed in mid to late puberty when the body increases its resistance to the action of insulin.
- Ethnicity—Certain racial groups are predisposed to the disease, including individuals of Native American, Hispanic, African American, and Asian descent.
Dr. Hines encourages parents to monitor overweight children with one or more risk factors of diabetes, since early treatment could minimize the devastating long-term health risks of the disease.
Parents with concerns about their children's weight or suspicions of diabetes should talk with their physician immediately.