Once again, the parents were ahead of the curve. For the past few years there has been a trend in the numbers of young people being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. There was no official word, it was coming from the mouths of parents.
“Yet another one was diagnosed, it just seems that it is happening more and more.”
“The third child in my child’s fourth grade class was diagnosed; that is in the last two months.”
“Something is going on, there are now seven kids just in out grammar school.”
Parents have been saying it, and saying it, and so many were ‘tapping the top of our heads’ in that ‘sure-sure-now-go-back-out-and-play’ condescending manner as if only those in the scientific field could notice such a phenomena.
Well now it’s a proven fact……but no one is celebrating about being right.
JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) just published a report out of the Colorado School of Public Health that studied data from 3 million children in five states over the period from 2001-2009 from age 0-19 regarding those with type 1 diabetes.
The results are alarming. But we knew that already also, didn’t we?
In 2001, 14.8 children per 10,000 were diagnosed with T1 (4958 children); in 2009 that number leaped to 19.3 kids every 10,000 with T1 (6666)–an increase of 21%; remember that this sampling was in five states; Colorado, California, Ohio, South Carolina, and Washington State.
The study had information about type 2 diabetes as well but in as much as many were quick to point out some explanations as to the rise surrounding T2 children ages 10-19; it was only stated that more research needs to be done as to the reasoning in the drastic rise of T1 diabetes.
The numbers are there and a rise of 21%, in anything, is surely enough for many to take notice.
What does it mean?
Well for you and I, we will go back and do what we do to keep our kids with T1 as healthy as we can. For the rest of the world, if you think that the data is true and would be consistent everywhere else (and there is no reason for me to believe otherwise; data is data) well it means that 21% more parents than usual will, unfortunately, be included into our world.
I hate that there is no course of action. Nothing that can be done. In a number that is 21% higher than it normally was, parents in the United States will be waiting for a shoe to drop; some a second and/or third shoe to drop.
I will take this information and share it with those who have already been contacted regarding a Child’s Cry for Change and Get Diabetes Right. With 21% more people being diagnosed, that is 21% more cases that face a chance of being mis-diagnosed or not diagnosed at all when needed.
Tell me again why resources for a cure are becoming less and less; I know now that I have a 21% increase in my desire to find it. May the world agree. More than that, may they do something about it. Don’t do nothing.
I am a diabetes dad.
Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.
4 replies on “Parents Were Right About T1 Being Diagnosed More…….New Study Shows a Trend Which is Alarming.”
Wow…thanks, Tom, for sharing this.
Share where appropriate.
Staggering. Hopefully this finding will put the spotlight on Type 1 because right now the world at large only hears about Type 2 in the media. This is great for Type 2 awareness but does nothing for Type 1 since it’s an entirely different disease. Thank you, Tom, for sharing this information.
If you read some of the news articles about this study (which included T2 stats)—they jump back and forth so much it is very hard to differentiate when they are speaking of what—-this, to me, was as telling as the study itself. We WILL, at least, move forward to utilize this information to try and make a difference in those who do not know or to prevent further mis-diagnosis of T1.