Pubertal development in children diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 1 before puberty

To investigate an association between pubertal development and timing of menarche with glycemic control, disease duration, and body mass index (BMI) in patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) before puberty.

Retrospective study.

The study was performed at the diabetes outpatient clinic of Instituto de Puericultura e Pediatria Martagão Gesteira--IPPMG of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro--UFRJ.

A total of 131 children, 61 girls and 70 boys, diagnosed with DM1 before puberty participated in the study.

The study investigated how age at puberty onset relates to mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) before puberty, BMI percentile, and disease duration; how puberty duration relates to mean HbA1c before and during puberty and to disease duration; and how timing of menarche relates to mean HbA1c before puberty, BMI percentile, and disease duration.

Age at puberty onset was positively correlated with mean HbA1c before puberty (r = 0.204, R(2) = 0.042; P = .019) and disease duration (r = 0.451, R(2) = 0.203; P < .0001), and negatively correlated with BMI percentile (r = -0.289, R(2) = 0.084; P = .001). Timing of menarche was negatively correlated with BMI percentile (r = -0.556, R(2) = 0.310; P < .001).

Children with longer disease duration began puberty later than those diagnosed more recently. Girls in higher BMI percentiles reached menarche sooner.