Caringbah Family Practice is pleased to announce that we are partnering with the Australian Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot, a research study funded by JDRF and Breakthrough T1D, and led by researchers at the University of Sydney. The Pilot aims to find the best way to screen children for type 1 diabetes, before they develop any signs or symptoms and become seriously unwell.
Most children with type 1 diabetes do not have any relatives with the condition, so we are offering free screening on behalf of the Pilot to all children aged 6 weeks – 6 months old attending their immunisation and/or routine health check appointment, for a limited time.
Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common long-term childhood health conditions, with four children in Australia diagnosed each day. It is an autoimmune condition where the body cannot make the hormone insulin. It can be difficult to identify early in children, and many are not diagnosed until they require emergency medical care.
Fortunately, a simple screening test helps find these children as early as possible, before they become sick. The test shows if your child has a combination of small variations in their DNA that are linked with type 1 diabetes. Children with an increased genetic chance of developing type 1 diabetes will be offered free follow-up testing. The earlier type 1 diabetes is detected, the sooner it can be managed, potentially preventing serious health problems and improving long-term health.
If you would like to have your child screened, please speak with your GP at Caringbah Family Practice or one of our nurses. More information about the Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot and diabetes can be found here or by calling the Pilot helpline on 1800 505 909.
This study has been approved by the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval Number: 2024/ETH02146).