Preterm birth linked to increased rates of diabetes in children and young adults

New research shows that preterm birth is linked to increased rates of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and young adults, with particular effects stronger in females.

People who have been born preterm may need more intensive monitoring and prevention efforts to lower their risk of diabetes, concludes the study, published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]).

Because of significant advances in treatment, most preterm infants now survive into adulthood. As a result, clinicians will increasingly encounter adult patients who were born prematurely.

Preterm birth should now be recognised as a chronic condition that predisposes to the development of diabetes across the life course.