title: Children diagnosed with diabetes during infancy have unique clinical characteristics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Characterizing clinical and biochemical features of children diagnosed with diabetes mellitus between the ages of 6-24 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of 42 children diagnosed with diabetes mellitus at age of 6-24 months were reviewed for gender, ethnic origin, family medical history, clinical and biochemical features at onset of diabetes compared with 60 diabetic patients diagnosed at age 5-16 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children diagnosed at 6-24 months had at onset more symptoms of apathy, restlessness, hyperglycemia during acute illness and a lower rate of remission than those diagnosed at older age (p < 0.001), significantly more episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis (83% vs. 40%, p < 0.001), lower HbA1c levels (mean 11.6 +/- 3.4 vs. 13.75 +/- 3.4%, p < 0.05) and a higher rate of celiac disease (12% vs. 3%, p = 0.046). There were no significant differences as to other autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with diabetes presenting at 6-24 months might be associated with a different clinical pattern and higher rate of celiac disease than diabetes presenting later in life. Understanding the nature and course of diabetes in this age group is crucial for planning interventional and preventive programs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, National Center of Childhood Diabetes, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqwa, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Revital
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nimri
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Phillip
authors.forename: Shlomit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shalitin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies