Although the majority of children with diabetes have type 1 other forms of childhood diabetes do exist. Following the rising epidemic of childhood obesity pediatricians started to see more cases of type 2 diabetes and advances in molecular genetics led to identifying some children with diabetes due to single gene defects, the so called monogenic diabetes. In addition, with the increase in the survival rate of children with cancer and other chronic illnesses cases of secondary diabetes became more prevalent.

The importance of making the correct classification of childhood diabetes are numerous: It could guide the best treatment for diabetes, define the diagnosis in other family members and explain other associated feature. However, if not sure it is safer to treat any child with diabetes as type 1.

The presentation will discuss when type 1 diabetes is unlikely and provide clinical examples of different forms of non-type 1 diabetes with more focus on monogenic diabetes.