Most kids with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed in crisis: thirsty, exhausted, losing weight…they end up in the hospital and often the ICU. In this deep dive, I make the case that it no longer has to start that way. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition that shows up in the blood years before the first symptom, and we finally have the science to catch it early.
What you’ll take away:
Why type 1 is an immune system problem, not a blood sugar problem, and why a normal finger-stick can falsely reassure
The old rule that misses most kids: 90% of those diagnosed have no family history
The three stages, and why stage three (the ER, the DKA) is the end of a process that began years earlier
The new
JAMA study (Winkler et al., May 2026): 200,000 kids screened at well checks, DKA at diagnosis dropping from 40 to 60% down under 10%When to screen, what the antibody panel involves, and why knowing early lowers anxiety rather than raising it
Screening at Frontier Pediatrics:
We are now offering this screening even if your child isn’t our patient! These are virtual visits and we don’t need to see the kid(s), just parent! We can do one visit and order screening for all the kids. Available as a virtual visit in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Texas, and Florida. Most insurance plans cover the testing and we can also help find low-cost or free alternatives like the research sites.