Search Here

The American Academy of Pediatrics has released a set of guidelines to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus in children. The guidelines were drawn after discussions with the American Diabetes Association, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The details of the guidelines and the corresponding report were published online in Pediatrics.

Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, is a metabolic disorder which leads to a rise in the blood sugar level as a result of insulin deficiency or insulin resistance. Insulin is a peptide hormone which helps in the regulation of blood sugar.

During the last 30 years or more, obesity in children has drastically increased, especially in Northern America. This is accompanied by a host of other health issues which were previously typical in adults. Type 2 diabetes is one of them, as it used to be a common occurrence in adults mainly.

The guidelines were released to help doctors manage pediatric type 2 diabetes in children between the age of 10 and 18.

According to the guidelines released by the AAP, an initial treatment with insulin treatment is suggested for children who have hyperglycemia, are ketotic or in ketoacidosis, or for those who had the type of diabetes which is yet to be determined. For other children, an initial treatment with metformin is suggested with a modification of lifestyle like controlled diet and exercise. The study also gives recommendations regarding tracking the affected child's glycemic control, introducing a routine for insulin dosage and also suggests preferred foods and exercises for children with type 2 diabetes.