Worldwide childhood type 1 diabetes epidemiology.

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic conditions in childhood. Treatment is life-saving and lifelong, it is painful and time-consuming, it interferes with daily life, requires self-discipline and a balanced diet. Many children and adolescents are unable to cope emotionally with their diabetes, diabetes causes them embarrasment, results in discrimination and limits social relationships. It may impact on school performance, on family functioning and it can lead to family disruption and divorce. Parents experience financial burden, they may have to reduce their working hours or give up work entirely in order to care for the child. The financial burden may be enhanced by the expenses of new treatment and monitoring modalities such as insulin pumps and continuous, real time (interstitial) glucose monitoring, the costeffectiveness of which are less well-documented as compared to adults with type 1 diabetes.