Body Mass Index Changes in Youth in the First Year after Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis

Objectives To describe changes in weight and body mass index (BMI) during the first year following diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and associations with demographic and clinical characteristics. Study design The Pediatric Diabetes Consortium includes 7 US centers with prospective longitudinal data from initial T1D diagnosis. This analysis includes 530 youth with diabetes duration of ≥1 year and measures of BMI at 3 and 12 months after diagnosis. BMI trajectory of participants and relationships between the change in BMI z-score from baseline (3 months) to 12 months with demographic characteristics, hemoglobin A1c at baseline, and insulin delivery mode at baseline were evaluated. Results As a group, BMI z-scores increased sharply from diagnosis for 1-3 months but remained relatively stable from +0.51 at 3 months to +0.48 at 12 months. Children aged 2- Conclusions These data suggest that increased BMI during the first year of treatment of most youth with T1D reflects regain of weight lost before diagnosis. There is, however, a propensity toward additional weight gain in younger children and girls.