What is childhood-onset diabetes?

Diabetes in young adults MODY is a rare form, different from type 1 and 2 diabetes. The disease is caused by a genetic mutation and is passed on between family members. Children who inherit the mutated gene from their parents usually develop symptoms before the age of 25.

Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) is a rare type of diabetes that is passed on in families. Like type 1 and type 2 diabetes, MODY affects how the body uses and stores glucose from food, making it difficult for people to regulate blood glucose. There are different ways to treat diabetes in young people, and it is important that the disease is properly diagnosed.
Diabetes in young adults MODY is often inherited. This means that a young person is more likely to develop diabetes if a family member also has the same condition. If you have a parent with MODY, the odds of you also developing diabetes in the young are 50%. In many cases, the condition will be inherited for more than a generation, so MODY can be present from grandparents, parents and children.
The disease is common in adolescents and young people under 35 years of age. However, you can still be diagnosed with childhood diabetes at any age. Unlike type 2 diabetes, MODY is not associated with obesity or high blood pressure. Young people with MODY diabetes are usually at a healthy weight.

Young people with diabetes MODY is caused by a change in one of the 11 chromosomes - called a gene mutation. Meanwhile, the causes of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are caused by a combination of different genes and some other conditions, such as obesity. This is the difference in the pathogenesis of MODY with other types of diabetes.
The genetic change in diabetes in children causes the pancreas not to produce enough insulin - a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels. This is similar to type 1 diabetes - when the pancreas cannot make and release enough insulin. Compared with type 2 disease, the pancreas makes enough insulin, but the body experiences insulin resistance.
On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is often associated with overweight, but type 1 disease and diabetes in young people are not. However, an obese person with a mutation in the MODY gene often develops diabetes symptoms earlier than a normal weight person.
There are 11 different types of MODY formed by changes in 11 separate genes. Depending on the type of MODY acquired, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment. For example, MODY 2 only needs to be managed with the right diet and regular exercise. MODY 1, 3, and 4 are usually controlled with a sulfonylurea drug. Meanwhile, MODY 5 will need a combination of treatments because it also causes other medical problems. Recently discovered MODY-forming genes 7-11 have the potential to respond to conventional treatments.

Signs of MODY can vary, depending on the type of gene affected. In some cases, young people with MODY diabetes don't show any symptoms. In general, diabetes in children will progress slowly, gradually. This feature is similar to people with type 2 diabetes, while the symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually come on fairly quickly (just a few weeks).
The person will have high blood sugar for many years before noticing the following warning signs:
More frequent thirst or hunger; Increased frequency of urination in a day; Blurry vision; susceptible to skin or yeast infections; Weight loss; Tired. MODY 5 childhood diabetes is one of the rare types that can affect organs other than the pancreas. A patient's kidneys are sometimes damaged before MODY 5 is diagnosed. Kidney damage will lead to decreased urine production, instead of increased urination as is common in people with diabetes.

Like other types of diabetes, diabetes in young people causes blood sugar levels to stay high. If not treated and controlled well, high blood sugar persists over time, leading to complications such as:
Nerve damage; Heart disease; Eye damage, causing blindness; There are pathologies in the feet ; Skin diseases, such as infections. MODY 2 has the best prognosis because of only mild hyperglycemia. Patients usually don't need to take any medications, nor do they lead to long-term complications. In general, keeping blood glucose levels close to normal reduces the risk of complications, not only with diabetes in young people but also with other types of diabetes.

Diabetes in young people is very rare, it is estimated that only 1-2% of people in the UK have it. Because of this, some doctors may not be fully informed, leading to about 90% of people with MODY being misdiagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes. Tests help diagnose diabetes in young people. includes:
Blood tests for pancreatic antibodies; Urine test for C-peptide ; Genetic testing. Once diagnosed, the patient should:
Consult a physician for appropriate treatment and advice for the type of illness, some people will not necessarily need insulin; Review and discuss genetic risk to offspring; Genetic testing to share with other family members. To prevent young people from developing diabetes, you and your family members can have genetic testing to find the associated gene mutation. If an increased risk of diabetes is detected in children, efforts should be made to avoid childhood obesity through a healthy diet and exercise. While this cannot prevent MODY, it can delay the development of symptoms, as well as provide many other positive health benefits.
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Reference source: webmd.com