Introduction

Te 1yp diabetes mellitus (DM1) requires lifelong insulin administration. Standards of care on children with DM1 may vary between countries. Since 2022, many war refugees from Ukraine with DM1 have continued treatment in Poland.

Aim of the research

To compare Polish (PL) and Ukrainian (UA) children with DM1 with respect to methods of insulin administration, glucose monitoring, auxological development, and comorbidities, and to re-assess UA children after 1 year of stay in Poland.

Material and methods

The retrospective analysis included 35 UA school-aged refugees and 70 PL children, matched with respect to sex, age, and DM1 duration.

Results

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) were significantly more frequently used by PL children than by UA ones. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were lower in PL than in UA patients, in both CGM and CSII users. Patients’ height standard deviation score (SDS) was significantly lower in UA than in PL children, while body mass index (BMI) SDS was significantly lower in UA patients on constant insulin doses. The incidence of overweight and obesity depended on the used centile charts (national for PL or UA children, or World Health Organization). After 1 year, more UA children used CSII and CGM, with an increase of height SDS and BMI SDS, while there was no effect on HbA1c. Vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune thyroiditis were common comorbidities.

Conclusions

Use of CSII and especially of CGM is associated with improved DM1 control and auxological development. The migration of children with DM1 was associated with modification of their treatment and challenges in proper assessment of nutritional status.