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Relatively small birth size and accelerated early growth of Japanese type 1 diabetic children with younger onset
Yumiko Kotani1, Ichiro Yokota1, Shoji Kagami1
1Department of Pediatrics, Tokushima University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan.
Insights
Japanese children with type 1 diabetes show smaller birth size, especially those diagnosed younger. Accelerated growth after birth may precede earlier onset of type 1 diabetes (T1DM).
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is a significant pediatric endocrine disorder.
- Understanding anthropometric changes preceding T1DM onset is crucial for early detection and prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate anthropometric parameter changes from birth to T1DM onset in Japanese children.
- To identify potential growth patterns associated with different age groups at T1DM diagnosis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 199 Japanese children diagnosed with T1DM between 0-16 years (1990-2003).
- Subjects categorized into three groups based on age at onset: 0-5, 5-10, and 10-16 years.
- Comparison of height and weight standard deviation scores (SDS) from birth to diabetes onset.
Main Results:
- Children with earlier T1DM onset (<5 years) exhibited significantly lower height and weight SDS at birth compared to older onset groups.
- The younger onset group showed a significant increase in height SDS from birth to T1DM onset.
- No significant height SDS changes were observed from birth to onset in the older age groups.
Conclusions:
- Smaller birth size and accelerated postnatal growth may characterize Japanese children with early-onset T1DM.
- These findings support the hypothesis linking accelerated growth and subsequent insulin resistance to earlier T1DM development.
Abstract:
We investigated the changes of anthropometrical parameters in Japanese children with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) from birth to the onset of diabetes. One-hundred ninety-nine children (79 males and 120 females) diagnosed between 0-16 yr of age during the period between 1990 and 2003 were the subjects of this study. The subjects were categorized into 3 groups according to onset age (0-5 yr; n=74, 5-10 yr; n=61, 10-16 yr; n=64). At birth, the younger onset (<5) group had significant lower height and weight standard deviation score (SDS) compared with the older onset (5≤) group (p=0.01 and p=0.02, respectively). When the changes in height SDS from birth to onset were compared, height SDS at onset were significantly greater than those at birth in the younger onset group (p<0.001). However, no significant difference was observed in the other groups (p=0.95 and p=0.39). These results suggest that relatively small size at birth and accelerated growth after birth until the onset of diabetes may be a characteristic of Japanese T1DM children with younger onset and may further support the hypothesis that emphasizes accelerated growth and subsequent insulin resistance as a cause of earlier onset of T1DM.
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