Children with type 1 diabetes at higher risk of hospitalisation

CHILDREN WITH type 1 diabetes are almost five times as likely to be admitted to hospital, a study has found.
Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UKBarbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK
Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK

Those aged five and under were admitted the most, while children from poorer backgrounds also saw an increased rate.

The study looked at Welsh hospital records and found that the number of children being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is increasing by 3-4 per cent every year, and even more so in pre-school-aged children.

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It analysed the reasons why more than 1,500 children up to the age of 15 with the condition were hospitalised, and compared their records with 7,800 randomly selected children without diabetes who were admitted to hospital up to May 2012.

For those with diabetes, there was a 480 per cent increased risk of being admitted to hospital for any cause as their peers.

The study also found that those receiving outpatient care at large centres had a 16.1 per cent reduction in hospital admissions compared with those treated at small centres. It was carried out by teams at Cardiff University, Swansea University, the University of Bristol, Bangor University and the University Hospital of Wales, and is published online in the British Medical Journal.

Professor John Gregory, specialist in paediatric endocrinology at Cardiff University School of Medicine, said: “Our research shows that children with diabetes are at an unacceptably increased risk of being admitted to hospital.

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“Based on this evidence, clinical services need to look at ways of supporting the care of those most at risk: the very young and those from poorer backgrounds.

Charity Diabetes UK said 2.7m in England are diagnosed with diabetes, and around 10 per cent of these have type 1.

Chief executive Barbara Young, said: “This study adds to our understanding of the serious and growing impact of Type 1 diabetes in the UK. At the moment, too many children have already become very ill by the time they are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and of the children and young people with diabetes whose annual checks are being recorded, only 16 per cent are getting all of the recommended diabetes care, services and support they are entitled to.”