Kids with diabetes face increased hospital risk

The condition makes the body unable to produce insulin which breaks down sugars. Picture: Getty

CHILDREN with type 1 diabetes are nearly five times more likely to be admitted to hospital for any reason than their peers, a study has found.

The number of childhood cases of type 1 diabetes is rising by 3 to 4 per cent each year, and complex treatments and poor management of symptoms can lead to more frequent medical emergencies, findings published in the journal BMJ Open reveal.

The condition – which affects more than 29,000 people in Scotland – occurs when insulin-producing cells have been destroyed, and the body is unable to produce insulin which breaks down sugars.

Children with type 1 diabetes – which is usually triggered by a virus or infection rather than lifestyle factors – face an “unacceptably increased risk” of being admitted to hospital, said Professor John Gregory, specialist in paediatric endocrinology at Cardiff University School of Medicine.

The team of researchers, including specialists from Cardiff University, analysed hospital admissions of more than 1,500 children up to the age of 15 with the condition in Wales, compared to randomly selected children without diabetes who were admitted to hospital.

The study found those with diabetes suffered a 480 per cent increased risk of being admitted to hospital for any cause compared to their peers. Children from more disadvantaged backgrounds also had an increased rate.

Those under five were at the highest risk of admission, as once patients reached five years old, the risk fell by more than 15 per cent for every five years from the child’s age at diagnosis.

Prof Gregory, who worked on the study, said: “Our research shows that children with diabetes are at an unacceptably increased risk of being admitted to hospital.

“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.

“It is likely that greater anxiety surrounds healthcare issues in those from poorer backgrounds and in very young children who can become ill more rapidly than older children. These are potentially modifiable factors depending on the availability of expert help to support children and their families.”

Prof Gregory called for an examination into working practices in smaller outpatient centres, as 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.

The research has been welcomed by diabetes campaigners.

Rupert Pigot, a spokesperson for the charity Diabetes Scotland, said: “It is vital that children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents or guardians receive the support that they need.”