Screening check
Should my child be tested for diabetes?
About 1 in 5 US adolescents aged 12 to 18 has prediabetes. The US Preventive Services Task Force looked at whether children and teens without symptoms should be screened for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Check what it says for your child.
About your child
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What you will see
What the USPSTF says about diabetes screening for your child.
Educational only, not medical advice. This is not a blood test and cannot tell whether your child has diabetes.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, September 2022 recommendation on screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents.
Validated in
Children and adolescents younger than 18 with no signs or symptoms of diabetes or prediabetes.
Limits
It is not a blood test. It does not cover children already diagnosed, children with symptoms, type 1 diabetes, or pregnant adolescents.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Children and adolescents younger than 18 without signs or symptoms of diabetes or prediabetes | Evidence is insufficient to weigh the benefits and harms of screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes | I |
This was the USPSTF's first recommendation on the topic. The I statement is neither a recommendation for nor against screening, and clinicians should use their judgment for each patient (USPSTF 2022). Screening in pregnant adolescents is covered by the separate gestational diabetes recommendation, and type 1 diabetes is outside its scope (USPSTF 2022).
Why it matters
Many diabetes complications seen in adults, such as kidney failure, amputations and blindness, can begin in childhood (USPSTF 2022). Obesity, especially around the middle, is the most important risk factor for type 2 diabetes in young people, and a family history of diabetes, including gestational diabetes, is also a strong risk factor. Type 2 diabetes is much more common in older than in younger children and often appears at the start of puberty. It affects American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander youth more often (USPSTF 2022).
Why the evidence falls short
The USPSTF found no studies of screening itself, including in children with risk factors, and limited evidence that treating screen-detected prediabetes or type 2 diabetes improves health outcomes (USPSTF 2022). Between 22% and 52% of children and teens with prediabetes return to normal blood sugar without treatment within 6 months to 2 years, so screening can lead to labeling, overdiagnosis and overtreatment (USPSTF 2022).
Common questions
Which tests are used, and what are the cutoffs?
A fasting plasma glucose test, an HbA1c test or an oral glucose tolerance test. Fasting glucose of 100 to 125 mg/dL, HbA1c of 5.7% to 6.4%, or a 2-hour value of 140 to 199 mg/dL is consistent with prediabetes. Fasting glucose of 126 mg/dL or more, HbA1c of 6.5% or more, or a 2-hour value of 200 mg/dL or more is consistent with type 2 diabetes (USPSTF 2022).
What do other groups recommend?
The American Diabetes Association recommends risk-based testing after puberty starts or from age 10 in children with overweight (BMI at or above the 85th percentile) or obesity (at or above the 95th percentile) and at least one more risk factor, repeated every 3 years if normal (USPSTF 2022).
How is it treated?
Usually with changes in diet and physical activity, medicine to control blood sugar, or both. Metformin, insulin and liraglutide are FDA approved for type 2 diabetes in children. Metformin is not approved to prevent prediabetes from becoming diabetes (USPSTF 2022).
Also see the adult diabetes screening check, the child cholesterol screening check, the child blood pressure check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2022;328(10):963-967. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/prediabetes-type2-diabetes-children-adolescents-screening
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-30. Spotted an error? See About.