Relatively small birth size and accelerated early growth of Japanese type 1 diabetic children with younger onset.

We investigated the changes of anthropometrical parameters in Japanese children with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) from birth to the onset of diabetes. One-hundred ninety-nine children (79 males and 120 females) diagnosed between 0-16 yr of age during the period between 1990 and 2003 were the subjects of this study. The subjects were categorized into 3 groups according to onset age (0-5 yr; n=74, 5-10 yr; n=61, 10-16 yr; n=64). At birth, the younger onset (<5) group had significant lower height and weight standard deviation score (SDS) compared with the older onset (5≤) group (p=0.01 and p=0.02, respectively). When the changes in height SDS from birth to onset were compared, height SDS at onset were significantly greater than those at birth in the younger onset group (p<0.001). However, no significant difference was observed in the other groups (p=0.95 and p=0.39). These results suggest that relatively small size at birth and accelerated growth after birth until the onset of diabetes may be a characteristic of Japanese T1DM children with younger onset and may further support the hypothesis that emphasizes accelerated growth and subsequent insulin resistance as a cause of earlier onset of T1DM.