Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are abnormally high because the body does not produce enough insulin or fails to respond normally to the insulin produced.

Diabetes rates are rising in young people. Early detection and treatment in children and teenagers can improve their health and wellness throughout life.
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are different conditions, but they both affect the body's use of insulin. Although type 1 is more common in young people, both types can affect children and teenagers.

Type 1 diabetes in children, previously called juvenile diabetes, occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin.

Without insulin, sugar cannot travel from the blood into the cells, and high blood sugar levels can occur.

People can develop type 1 diabetes at any age, from early childhood to adulthood, but the average age at diagnosis is 13 years. An estimated 85%Trusted Source of all type 1 diagnoses take place in people aged under 20 years.

Treatment involves lifelong insulin use and blood sugar monitoring, as well as diet and exercise management, to help keep blood sugar levels within the target range.

Type 2 diabetes is less common in young children, but it can occur when insulin is not working correctly. Without enough insulin, glucose can accumulate in the bloodstream.

The chance of developing type 2 diabetes increases as people get older, but children can also develop it.

The rates of type 2 diabetes are increasing along with increases in childhood obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that obesity affected around 18.5%Trusted Source of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years in the U.S. in 2015–2016.

Over 75%Trusted Source of children with type 2 diabetes have a close relative who has it, either due to genetics or shared lifestyle habits. Having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes is linked with an increased risk.

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