THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF JUVENILE-ONSET INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS IN TURKISH CHILDREN - A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF 477 CASES

The hospital records of 477 patients under 18 years of age with insuli n-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) who were followed in the Endocrin ology Unit of Hacettepe University Children's Hospital between the yea rs 1969 and 1991 were analyzed for age, sex, residence at time of diag nosis, date of onset of symptoms, date of diagnosis, family history of IDDM, and consanguinity between parents. The distribution of age at d iagnosis showed a small peak between 4 and 6 years of age and a main p eak between 12 and 14 years. In girls, the main peak appeared between 10 and 12 years, and in boys between 12 and 14. A significant differen ce was not seen between sexes (239 males and 236 females). The frequen cy of diagnosis showed seasonal variations the lowest in autumn and th e highest in winter. Consanguinity between parents was 23.9 percent, a nd 10.3 percent of the patients had IDDM in first degree relatives.