Adverse childhood experiences in diabetes care

Abstract

Despite decades of research showing the link between adverse childhood experiences and negative effects on health,1 neither the American Diabetes Association's Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2022 nor the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes’ Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2018 include a recommendation to screen for adverse childhood experiences. This omission is of great concern given that people exposed to adverse childhood experiences are at increased risk of toxic stress, a response that can negatively impact basic development across several physiological systems, such as the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, and increase the risk for several conditions, including kidney disease, overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.