A doctor may suspect that your child has prediabetes when his lab results reveal a fasting blood glucose level that is within a certain range, specifically between 100 and 125 mg per deciliter, or mg/dL. This diagnosis may be confusing, particularly if your child is not obese, which is a major risk factor for development of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Your child, however, may have one of several other risk factors for prediabetes, and identifying these risk factors may help guide your child's treatment.
Prediabetes: What It Means
A healthy blood glucose level measured after an overnight fasting is below 100 mg/dL. A fasting blood glucose level higher than 125 mg/dL is diagnostic of diabetes. However, the range in between -- 100 to 125 mg/dL--is diagnostic of prediabetes. Without appropriate intervention, individuals who fall within that range will likely develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years or less. Because type 2 diabetes is associated with many dangerous health risks, a diagnosis of prediabetes empowers individuals to make lifestyle changes to ward off diabetes.
Child's Weight
Your child does not necessarily have to be obese to be at increased risk of prediabetes. Simply being overweight by 20 percent or more of his ideal body weight raises your child's risk for the disorder. Kids come in all shapes and sizes, and the way a child appears may not be reflective of his overall health. Therefore, asking your doctor questions regarding your child's ideal body weight is a good place to start when identifying his individual risk factors for prediabetes.
Other Risk Factors
Although being overweight is a common predictor of diabetes, other factors could be putting your child at risk. For example, a family history of a blood relative with diabetes significantly increases his risk. In addition, individuals belonging to a particular race are more likely than others to develop the disease. If your child is Native American, Asian, Hispanic or African-American, development of prediabetes and subsequent type 2 diabetes may be somewhat out of his control.
Interventions
Although your child is not obese, your doctor may still recommend that he lose weight, as losing as little as 5 percent to 7 percent of his body weight can reduce his risk of developing diabetes by as much as 50 percent. Regardless of his weight, however, your doctor will likely emphasize the importance of dietary modification if necessary in your child's case. Offer your child common-sense food choices that are low in sugar and calories, and high in fiber. If your child is inactive, encourage him to exercise. Walk, swim or ride bikes together for a half-hour to an hour at least five days a week. And, if your doctor prescribes a diabetic medication to your child, help him comply with that prescription. These interventions should lower your child's fasting blood glucose level, as well as decrease his odds of developing a potentially serious disease in the future.
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