Clinical Characteristics and Laboratory Findings of Children who were Newly Diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus (From 2001 to 2008)

Hong, Eun Hui; Park, Jun Seok; Lee, Hwan Seok; Cho, Min Hyun; Ko, Cheol Woo

Abstract

PURPOSE: The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide because of the increase in the incidence of obesity. We performed this study to determine the type of diabetes and the clinical characteristics and laboratory data of the children who were newly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM). METHOD: We reviewed the medical data of 75 children (35 boys and 40 girls) who were diagnosed with DM at Kyungpook National University Hospital between January 2001 and June 2008.
RESULTS
Sixty patients (80%) were diagnosed with type 1 DM and 15 (20%) with type 2 DM. Approximately 70% of the study subjects developed DM in spring and winter. Further, 38% and 60% of the patients had a family history of type 1 and type 2 DM, respectively. The average age of the patients with type 1 DM was 10.6+/-2.6 years. Diabetic ketoacidosis was the first symptom in 15% of these patients. The average body mass index of these patients was 18.2+/-4.5 kg/m2. At least one of autoantibodies against pancreas was positive in 69%. The average age of the patients with type 2 DM was 13.4+/-1.2 years. Fifty-three percent of these patients was diagnosed without any symptom. Fatty liver and hypertension were diagnosed in 20% of the patients. Fifty-three percent of these patients were obese or overweight.
CONCLUSION
Twenty percent of the children who were newly diagnosed with diabetes at our institute had type 2 DM. Since the incidence of type 2 DM in children appears to be increasing with an increase in the occurrence of childhood obesity, special attention should be provided to obese children.