Sassari Sardinia unleashes the weapon of prevention against diabetes in children. There is a sad record to reverse: Sardinia is the region with the highest incidence in the world of type 1 diabetes, with approximately 120 new cases registered per year in the 0-14 age group.
Everything is ready for the start of the pilot project of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità – Ministry of Health, which in this first experimental phase will also involve Marche, Lombardy and Campania. Five thousand tests in total, assigned by region based on the pediatric population. 370 children will be tested on the island for three age groups. 2, 6 and 10 years.
Paediatricians of free choice will carry out tests on the young patients in their clinics and the tests will then be sent to San Raffaele in Milan. To get an idea, based on data from the Health Department, just think that in Sardinian children and young people the incidence of type 1 diabetes is 50 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants (age range 0-30 years) while in the rest of Italy and the world, excluding Finland, more similar to the Sardinian case, the incidence stops at 6.7 cases per 100 thousand peers. In total, today in Sardinia there are 110,400 people with diabetes, a number that speaks of a real socio-health emergency, destined to grow also due to the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults, which on the island has around 5 thousand cases per year.
«Should there be a predisposition for diabetes or celiac disease, the pediatrician and the regional reference center identified in the Diabetology service at the Microcitemico hospital in Cagliari will be alerted – explains the regional secretary of the Italian Federation of Pediatric Doctors, Osama Al Jamal –. It is definitely a preliminary screening that will become more universal in the coming years. The resources that will allow the expenses to be covered have already been allocated. For now this is an important opportunity to investigate the predisposition for diabetes and celiac disease for already established age groups, 2, 6 and 10 years.”
There are 14 pediatricians so far involved «in every province, representative of all geographical areas. The tests distributed in this way will allow us to have a faithful picture of the Sardinian reality.” The starting point is the highest incidence of diabetes in the world in Sardinia. «On average, each pediatrician has at least 4-5 diabetic children in its care, apart from celiac disease – adds Dr Al Jamal -. Screening is useful because it allows us to arrive at an early diagnosis which also allows us to prevent acute complications such as diabetic acidosis. Because it is one thing to make an early diagnosis, entrust the children to the reference center and activate therapies. Another matter is when children arrive in conditions of diabetic ketoacetosis with the risks of complications, including unfortunately death.”
Parents can also play an important part in this mapping process. «By adhering to the screening – explains President Fimp – when it is proposed to him by the pediatrician. They will be provided with information material and the purposes of the screening will be explained. Personally, but I must also say on behalf of my colleagues, we have already begun to inform parents and the feedback exceeds all expectations. The Sardinian family is very sensitive to these issues. I am sure that in Sardinia we will have no difficulty in involving families in this screening project.”
The times are quite fast. The first phase must be completed by November. The one about testing children. Then we will proceed with the examination at San Raffaele which will reveal a map of the health status of the young patients.
