During a checkup at school, they found a black velvety ring on the back of my 10 year daughter’s neck, and they think she may be type 2 diabetes, but no one in family has it. Does someone in your family have to have type 2 diabetes in order for your child to get it? Are there any reasons out there for someone could get it?

Diabetes runs in families so there is a genetic component, but some people get diabetes and no one else in the family has it. How? Not every person has all the genes to get diabetes. We know this from detailed research, but a child may inherit the potential for diabetes from each parent that when doubled up causes the disease.

The ring on your daughter’s neck sounds like Acanthosis Nigricans which is a risk factor (Note: a risk factor, not a cause or absolute) for type�2 diabetes. There are also other risk factors to consider: Is she overweight? Are there older people in the family who are overweight, have hypertension, high lipids, etc. Risk means just that, and not absolutely that something will happen.

LD

[Editor’s comment: For further information on this topic, see What You Need to Know about Type 2 Diabetes in Children.

SS]