Skin markings indicate health risk for children

By Natasha D. Bordeaux

RST Diabetes Prevention Public Relations Specialist

Until recently, it was believed that children could not develop Type 2 Diabetes. However, we now know that children can develop Type 2 Diabetes.

In the past few years the RST Diabetes Prevention Program identified six children on the Rosebud Reservation who have already developed Type 2 Diabetes -- the youngest of which was only eight-years-old.

This is unfortunate because Type 2 Diabetes is 100 percent preventable.

By identifying the children with risk factors and working with them and their families to lower these factors through regular exercise and nutritional adjustment many children can prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes.

Risk factors include; being overweight or obese; having high blood pressure; having a waist measurement wider than the hip measurement, and the presence of dark patches on the skin, known as Acanthosis Nigricans or AN.

Many of the 1,916 children in Rosebud Reservation schools that were identified by the RST Diabetes Prevention Program as having a high risk for developing diabetes were identified by the dark patches of skin found on their bodies.

AN appears on the skin of people with high insulin levels in the body and is frequently associated with obesity.

Insulin is produced by the pancreas. It is important because it helps carry glucose (or sugar) to the cells in your body. High insulin levels indicate that the body is resisting the insulin that is being produced. As a result, the pancreas produces more insulin than needed, and through time, it can stop producing enough insulin to take the glucose to the cells in the body.

The dark patches (AN) are important because they can help identify persons whose bodies are resisting insulin and who run the risk of developing diabetes in the near future.

Once AN is identified, parents and healthcare providers can take the necessary measures to lower the insulin levels and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Exercise and proper nutrition will help the body become more sensitive to insulin and lower insulin levels. Once the insulin levels are lowered, the AN markers will begin to fade.

Taking immediate action may help delay or prevent the health conditions associated with high insulin levels.

AN most frequently occurs on the neck, armpits, waist and behind the knees. It can also be found on the elbows, knuckles, knees, around the eyes and other parts of the body. The dark patches can easily be mistaken for dirt, calluses or dry skin.

If you believe your child may have AN, call Angel Wilson, RST Diabetes Prevention Case Manager at 747-2231, or Rita Broken Leg, RST Diabetes Prevention Nurse Educator at 747-4600.

These health professionals will be able to evaluate your child and recommend a possible course of action.