Hospitalization for diabetes in children doubled during COVID-19 pandemic: Study
The findings reinforces the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for children even under such difficult circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic.
USA: A recent study showed that the incidence of hospitalization for new-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) in children was higher in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic than the same period in 2019.
According to the study, the incidence and acuity of type 2 diabetes in children increased significantly during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more pediatric patients hospitalized from March to December 2020 compared to the same time period in 2019.
The findings from the retrospective chart review were presented as a late-breaking poster session at the virtual 81st Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
Stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including limiting physical activity, increasing screen time and sedentary behaviors, disturbing sleep, and increasing the intake of processed foods, which can all lead to weight gain. In fact, more than one in four Americans with diabetes report the pandemic disrupted their ability to obtain healthy food—a concerning trend as modest weight gain over a short period of time can increase the risk for long-term consequences such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is a lack of data on the incidence or severity of new-onset type 2 diabetes in the pediatric population during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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