Physical examination for type 2 diabetes in a child
If your health professional suspects that your child has diabetes, he or she will do a complete physical examination. The health professional will:
- Measure your child's height and weight and compare them with what is considered normal for the child's age. The health professional also may calculate your child's body mass index (BMI).
- Check your child's blood pressure.
- Check your child's eyes.
- Feel the neck when your child swallows, to check the thyroid gland. Thyroid problems sometimes develop in people with diabetes.
- Listen to your child's heart and lung sounds.
- Check your child's skin for signs of dehydration, such as loose skin, a dry mouth, or sunken eyeballs. The health professional also will check for a skin condition called acanthosis nigricans.
- Examine your child's feet for sores or injuries.
- Examine your child's nervous system by checking his or her reflexes and by checking how he or she feels touch.
- Examine the abdomen for signs of an enlarged liver.
| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS | Last Updated: August 25, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Stephen LaFranchi, MD - Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology | |
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