Increase in new-onset type 1 diabetes diagnoses among Brazilian children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Increase in new-onset type 1 diabetes diagnoses among Brazilian children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: This study aimed to determine if there was a rise in new T1DM cases in children during the pandemic in a large metropolitan area in Brazil. Methods: The authors conducted a cross-sectional study at five public tertiary care centers that specialize in diabetes in children, comparing all ne...

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Main Authors: Renata Szundy Berardo, Melanie Rodacki, Bruna S. Pugliese, Fernanda Roisman, Juliane Rocha, Daniel Gilban, Bianca Balassiano, Cristine Barboza Beltrão, Isla Aguiar Paiva, Juliana Veiga Moreira, Jorge Luescher, Ludmila Campos, Isabella Coutinho, Isabel Rey Madeira, Alessandra S.M.F. da Costa, Lucianne R.M. Tannus, Nádia C.P. Rodrigues, Lenita Zajdenverg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Jornal de Pediatria
Subjects:
T1dm
Covid-19
Ketoacidosis
Epidemiology
T1DM
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021755725000828
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Summary:Objective: This study aimed to determine if there was a rise in new T1DM cases in children during the pandemic in a large metropolitan area in Brazil. Methods: The authors conducted a cross-sectional study at five public tertiary care centers that specialize in diabetes in children, comparing all new T1DM cases (ages 0.5–18y) diagnosed from March 2020 to December 2021 (pandemic period, PP) with those from March 2018 to December 2019 (historical period, HP). Results: There were 167 new cases in the PP compared to 99 in the HP, reflecting a 68.7 % rise, with a notable peak observed in the third quarter of 2020 (p = 0.006). The average age of diagnosis was 8.4 ± 4.2 years in the PP and 7.5 ± 3.6 years in the HP, with no significant difference (p = 0.06). The gender distribution, BMI Z scores, and duration of diabetes symptoms before diagnosis were similar. The incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at onset was elevated but did not increase during the pandemic (62.6 % historical vs. 59.3 % pandemic period). During the PP, 24 % of patients reported symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection before the diagnosis of T1DM or at admission, and 13 % (7/53) of tested patients were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions: The present findings indicate a significant rise in new T1DM cases among children during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to prior years, without differences in DKA at onset.
ISSN:0021-7557

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