1.10.2 Retinopa­thy

Rec­om­men­da­tions

13.42 An ini­tial di­lat­ed and com­pre­hen­sive eye ex­am­i­na­tion is rec­om­mend­ed once youth have had type 1 di­a­betes for 3–5 years, pro­vided they are age ≥10 years or pu­ber­ty has start­ed, whichev­er is ear­li­er. B

13.43 After the ini­tial ex­am­i­na­tion, an­nu­al rou­tine fol­low-‍up is gen­er­ally rec­om­mend­ed. Less-‍fre­quent ex­am­i­na­tions, every 2 years, may be ac­cept­able on the ad­vice of an eye care pro­fes­sion­al and based on risk fac­tor as­sessment. E

Retinopathy (like albuminuria) most commonly occurs after the onset of puberty and after 5–10 years of diabetes duration (116). Referrals should be made to eye care professionals with expertise in diabetic retinopathy and experience in counseling the pediatric patient and family on the importance of prevention, early detection, and intervention.