More kids under-10 getting type-2 diabetes

Even a child as small as 8 years of age, if obese and with a family history of diabetes can get type-2 diabetes.

This was revealed by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation which has published case histories of 4 such kid-patients in the February edition of the Journal of Association of Physicians.

‘It is surprising and alarming,’ said Dr Anjana Mohan of Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Speciality Centre. ‘When children develop diabetes, they risk developing complications such as heart, kidney and eye diseases very early in life.’ ‘Eight were diagnosed before their 10th birthday. The youngest was seven,’ he said.

Institutions such as MV Hospital for Diabetes have had sporadic cases of children under 10. But studies have shown that many below 10 are obese and show signs of insulin resistance – when muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond properly to the hormone.

‘The body finds it tough to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. Many young girls are obese and have excessive hair growth on their face. These are warning signs,’ said diabetologist Dr Vijay Vishwanathan. ‘It is important to test them for diabetes at least once a year.’

In India, the disorder occurs commonly in people above 40, but was not recorded in children until recently.

Doctors report a sudden increase in the disorder among adolescents (15-19), mostly due to obesity caused by unhealthy diet and lack of exercise besides a strong family history of diabetes.

In children, studies suggest that the illness advances more rapidly as compared to adults and they also quickly develop complications.

From being rarely seen in children in the 1990s, studies now indicate that 1 in 1,000 type-2 diabetic in Chennai was a child.

Encourage children to exercise, eat healthy foods and check blood sugars levels!