Screening for type 2 diabetes in children

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 2 years:¹

• A parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes.
• 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, such as the skin problem acanthosis nigricans, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or polycystic ovary syndrome (a hormone problem that interferes with ovulation).

If the results of a blood glucose test indicate that your child's blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet at the level of diabetes (prediabetes), the test should be repeated 3 months later to determine whether your child has developed diabetes.² 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 Diabetes Type 2 in Children.

Citations

1. American Diabetes Association (2007). Standards of medical care in diabetes. Clinical Practice Recommendations 2007. Diabetes Care, 30(Suppl 1): S4–S41.

2. Orr DP (2002). Diabetes mellitus. In LS Neinstein, ed., Adolescent Health Care: A Practical Guide, 4th ed., pp. 250–263. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.