3 Australian children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes every day.
A late diagnosis can be life-threatening, but screening can find kids early, before they start developing symptoms.
What type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body has mistakenly attacked itself. As a result, the body can no longer make the hormone insulin.
Insulin is an important hormone for maintaining healthy levels of nutrients in the blood, needed for energy and normal body functions, growth and development. Without insulin, blood glucose levels become dangerously high. If left untreated, this can become life-threatening.
Type 1 diabetes can be managed by taking insulin through injections or an insulin pump. Although it can be challenging to manage, children with type 1 diabetes live long and healthy lives. The earlier type 1 diabetes is detected, the sooner it can be treated.
Who develops type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes often develops in childhood but can be diagnosed at any age.
The condition can affect anyone – in fact the majority of people who get type 1 diabetes, do not have a family member with the condition. That’s why it’s important for children to be screened for type 1 diabetes, regardless of their family history.
Why is screening for type 1 diabetes important?
Type 1 diabetes can be difficult to identify in children, and 1 in every 3 Australian children are not diagnosed until they are very sick and need emergency medical care.
Identifying type 1 diabetes early helps to:
- Avoid children getting very sick;
- Improve their long-term health; and
- Provide opportunities to participate in clinical trials aiming to prevent or delay the condition.
What causes type 1 diabetes?
It’s not known exactly what causes type 1 diabetes.
Some people are more likely to develop type 1 diabetes than others, based on their genes. Family history plays a role but isn’t the whole story – in fact 90% of people who develop the condition don’t have a family member with the condition.
Research suggests that something in environment then triggers the autoimmune attack to begin. This could be a virus, something in the diet or something else entirely during pregnancy or in early childhood. Researchers in Australia and around the world are working hard to find out.
Can type 1 diabetes be prevented or cured?
No, there is no known cure or prevention for type 1 diabetes yet. However, an early diagnosis may avoid serious health problems, improve long-term health and provide the opportunity to participate in clinical trials aiming to prevent or delay the condition.
What are the symptoms of type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes can be difficult to identify in children as there are no symptoms in the early stages of the condition. The condition can be developing silently for months or years before children start showing any signs.
By the time a child is presenting with symptoms, the condition has already progressed significantly. Even at this stage, diagnosis can be difficult as the symptoms are often vague and so are easily missed or confused with other common childhood causes.
There are four common symptoms of type 1 diabetes.
Screening aims to identify children early, before they start developing any symptoms. If you are worried about your child because you think they may have symptoms of type 1 diabetes, contact your doctor for a simple finger prick blood glucose test as soon as possible.
Click on the map to find out about screening in your state
More information
You can also read more about type 1 diabetes here:
- JDRF Australia, Living with Type 1 Diabetes Read More >
- Diabetes Australia, About Type 1 Diabetes Read More >
- As1diabetes, Information for kids, teens, parents, carers and schools Read More >
- Raising Children, Type 1 Diabetes Read More >
The Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot aims to find the best way to offer screening for type 1 diabetes to children in Australia.
This national 'not for profit' research pilot is led by the University of Sydney, with collaborating universities and hospitals around Australia. It is funded by JDRF, a research foundation for type 1 diabetes.
