Diabetes Program
Recent studies indicate the number of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the United States is growing at an alarming rate. As many as 45 percent of children newly diagnosed with diabetes today are type 2 cases, compared with fewer than 4 percent in the 1990s. The recent rise in diabetes prevalence in younger ages indicates that the risk factors start operating early in life.
Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and OHSU are home to the Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Health Center, a state of the art facility providing continual diabetes care to individuals of all ages, including approximately 800 children and adolescents. The Doernbecher pediatric diabetes team and the OHSU adult diabetes care specialists support individuals through their lifelong efforts to deal with diabetes. The Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Health Center is the only care center on the west coast providing this level of continuous care to children and adults with diabetes.
In addition to the outstanding clinical care Doernbecher researchers are also conducting groundbreaking research that shows the diet of the mother during gestation plays a critical role in predisposing an infant to diabetes. This work may one day lead to better prevention and treatment for children with diabetes.
