Characteristics at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in children younger than 6 years.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the prodrome, presentation, family history, and biochemical status at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) in children under age 6 years.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective chart review of patients hospitalized at diagnosis with T1D from 1990 to 1999 in a children's hospital.

RESULTS: A total of 247 children were hospitalized, 44% of whom presented in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). When stratified by 2-year age intervals, only total carbon dioxide (tCO(2)) was significantly lower in the youngest children (P = .02), and the duration of candidiasis was significantly longer in those children presenting in DKA (P = .004). Parents were more likely to recognize symptomatic hyperglycemia in children older than 2 years (P < .0001). Most parents sought care for their child suspecting that the child had diabetes; the other children were diagnosed when presenting with another concern. Only gender and tCO(2) were significantly correlated with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c); age-adjusted HbA1c was 0.64% higher in girls compared with boys (P = .045), and each 1-mmol/L decrement in tCO(2) increased the age- and gender-adjusted HbA1c by 0.086% (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of children under age 6 years present critically ill at the diagnosis of T1D. When any of the classic symptoms of diabetes or a yeast infection is present, a serum glucose level should be measured.