Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) Practice Exam

According to the American Diabetes Association, when should screening for type 2 diabetes begin in children?

1. At age 5 for all children.

2. At age 8 in high-risk, obese children.

3. Only if symptoms appear.

4. At 10 years old for children with a family history.

The correct answer is: At age 5 for all children.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that screening for type 2 diabetes in children should begin at age 10 or at the onset of puberty, whichever comes first, and this is particularly for children who are overweight and have risk factors such as a family history of diabetes. Therefore, the answer suggesting that screening should begin at age 5 for all children is not aligned with the ADA guidelines. These guidelines emphasize the importance of screening high-risk children rather than implementing a universal screening approach for all children at a younger age like 5. The rationale behind an age 10 recommendation is to catch potential issues early in those who are more likely to develop diabetes due to their risk factors, rather than screening all children indiscriminately. Screening only if symptoms appear is inadequate since type 2 diabetes can be asymptomatic in its early stages and may lead to complications if not identified in a timely manner. Finally, while there may be increased urgency to screen children with a family history of diabetes, the critical focus remains on those who are at higher risk, including factors like obesity and metabolic syndrome, starting from age 10 or puberty.