Community awareness key to better managing childhood type 1 diabetes
New research from Nepean Hospital has shown that despite medical advancements and community awareness, a significant number of children with type 1 diabetes continue to present to the hospital in critical condition due to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
The ten-year retrospective study, led by Clinical Associate Professor Dr Habib Bhurawala, Head of Paediatrics at Nepean Hospital, reviewed the records of children under the age of 16 who presented with type 1 diabetes at a Western Sydney metropolitan hospital between 2010 and 2020.
Of the 196 children included in the study 43% presented with DKA, a serious and potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes. Alarmingly, 38% of children who were newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes presented with DKA at their first hospital visit.
“These are preventable emergencies. Our findings show that many families are still not recognising the early signs of diabetes in children, which include frequent urination, excessive thirst, and unexplained weight loss,” says Dr Bhurawala.
The research also found that DKA was more common among older children in the newly diagnosed group, while among younger children, 42% presented with severe DKA.
“This puts a major burden not just on families, but also on emergency services and hospital resources,” says Dr Bhurawala.
“We need stronger community education to recognise the symptoms of diabetes early and seek care before children deteriorate.”
Interestingly, the study found higher rates of type 1 diabetes in areas of relative socioeconomic advantage, suggesting that better access to health services alone may not be enough to prevent DKA presentations.
“This is a public health issue, and the data supports the need for targeted campaigns to raise awareness among parents, teachers, and GPs,” says Dr Bhurawala.
This research is one of several recent studies coming out of Nepean Hospital and NBMLHD, reflecting the commitment of NBMLHD to advancing health outcomes through clinically relevant, community-focused research.
“Research like this ensures that our local health services are continually improving, based on evidence gathered from the very communities we serve,” says Dr Bhurawala.
NBMLHD continues to invest in collaborative research to better understand the needs of patients and deliver care that is proactive, preventative, and aligned with community needs.
The research was conducted in collaboration with Dr Shahzad Sarwar, Dr Anthony Liu, and Associate Professor Gary Leong and is now published in the Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies.