Type 2 Diabetes: Screening for Children

Type 2 Diabetes: Screening for Children

Overview

Diabetes Canada recommends screening for type 2 diabetes every 2 years for some children. Children who have not reached puberty and have 3 or more risk factors should be screened. Children who have reached puberty and have 2 or more risk factors should screened. Risks include:footnote 1

  • Having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes.
  • Having a birth parent who developed gestational diabetes while pregnant with the child.
  • African, Arab, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous, or South Asian descent.
  • Signs of not being able to use insulin properly (insulin resistance) or conditions linked with it. These include:

References

Citations

  1. Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee, et al. (2018). Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 42(Suppl 1): S247–S254. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.10.037. Accessed October 15, 2018.

Credits

Current as of: March 1, 2023

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
John Pope MD - Pediatrics
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Matthew I. Kim MD - Endocrinology
David C.W. Lau MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology