A more targeted approach to screening for type 2 diabetes is needed in children and adolescents, according to doctors who have developed the first Australasian paediatric consensus guidelines.

The new advice, which sets HbA1c target levels at 6.5% or lower, recommends more frequent screening of overweight and obese children, particularly in high-risk ethnic groups.

Guideline developers, led by paediatric endocrinologist Dr Alexia Peña, said recent international guidelines had failed to take into account the specific needs of Indigenous children.

“The challenges and specifics to care for children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes which should apply to Australasia have not been addressed to date,” said Dr Peña, from the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Research Institute.