title: Foster care and type 1 diabetes in the Bronx: a case series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this retrospective study was to describe the health status of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in foster care.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review of children with T1DM in foster care at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) in Bronx, NY, USA, was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were either African American or Hispanic and raised by single mothers. The majority of referrals were for medical neglect. The time spent in foster care ranged from 1 to 7 years, with 1-12 placements. Only two children were reunified with their biological mothers. Extensive financial burdens on the health-care system for children with diabetes including prolonged hospitalizations awaiting placement, frequent hospital admissions, and support services were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first report on children with T1DM in foster care. Poor glycemic control and suboptimal social outcomes were noted in the children we report in our case series. Programs geared to improve and reform foster care for children with diabetes are needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, 3415 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467, USA. mariam.gangat@gmail.com
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gangat
authors.forename: Genna W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Rubina A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Heptulla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D002648:Child; D002654:Child Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D012189:Retrospective Studies