Which type of diabetes is the most common form diagnosed in children?

Type I diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common form of diabetes diagnosed in children. It is primarily an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This leads to a significant deficiency of insulin, which is essential for glucose metabolism. Because children have a higher prevalence of Type I diabetes due to genetic and environmental factors, it often manifests during childhood or adolescence, making it the most frequently diagnosed type in this age group.

In contrast, Type II diabetes, while increasingly diagnosed in children, is more commonly associated with obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and metabolic syndrome, and tends to be diagnosed later compared to Type I. Diabetes insipidus and SIADH (Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone secretion) are conditions related to water balance, not glucose metabolism, and thus do not fall under the category of diabetes in the context of blood sugar regulation.