Type 2 Diabetes: Screening for Children
Overview
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 one of the following risk factors needs to be tested for type 2 diabetes every 3 years:footnote 1
- A parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
- The child's mother developed gestational diabetes while pregnant with the child
- 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:
- A skin problem, acanthosis nigricans
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (a hormone problem that interferes with ovulation)
- Born small in weight and/or length
If the results of a blood glucose test mean that your child's blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet at the level of diabetes, he or she has prediabetes. 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 Type 2 Diabetes in Children.
Current as of: April 13, 2022
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