Objectives: Children with Down’s syndrome have an increased risk of type 1 diabetes. However, the reports regarding the prevalence of Down’s syndrome in children with diabetes are few. The aim oft his study was to describe the prevalence of Down’s syndrome among children with diabetes in Sweden. Another aim was to describe the insulin treatment regimens and metabolic control in children and adolescents with diabetes and Down’s syndrome.
Methods: Data were collected by a questionnaire that was distributed to all paediatric diabetes centres in Sweden. Data on Down’s syndrome in the background population was obtained from the Swedish birth defect registry.
Result: 41 out of 43 clinics answered the questionnaire representing 7083 subjects with diabetes. In April 2007, 15 subjects with Down’s syndrome were identified. Median age was 15.6 (range 4.5 –20.0) years, with a median duration of diabetes of 5.0 years. All children were treated with insulin, mainly with multiple insulin injections (10/15). Three children used insulin pump and two children were treated with twice daily insulin injections. One child was also treated with metformin. The median daily insulin dosage was 0.76 U/kg/d (range 0.05 – 1.7 U/kg/d) and HbA1c (Mono-S, upper reference limit 5.3% ) was 6.3 % (range 4.1 – 7.9%). Coeliac disease was reported in 5 and thyroid disease in 8 children. Simultaneous hypothyroidism, diabetes and celiac disease were noted in two children with Down’s syndrome. We identified a prevalence of Down’s syndrome in patients with diabetes of 0.21%,whereas the prevalence of Down’s syndrome in new-born children in the background population is estimated to 0.13%.
Conclusion: The prevalence of Down’s syndrome in children with diabetes seems to be increased in Sweden. Intensive insulin therapy is possible in children and adolescence with Down’s syndrome and the metabolic control is often satisfactory. Registry validated studies are needed to confirm our findings