Total glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1) levels in diabetic children.

Total glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1) levels from capillary blood were studied retrospectively during a 1-year period in 148 diabetic children aged between 1.9 and 16.8 years. The clinic range for HbA1 was 6.7 to 22.2% and the results were normally distributed (mean +/- SD 13.2 +/- 2.8%). The normal range in non-diabetics using this method is 4.9 to 8.0%. Results from children who had had diabetes for more than 5 years were higher than those from children with diabetes of 2 to 5 years' duration. Girls had higher average values during the 1-year period than boys. HbA1 measurement serves to identify the deficiencies of current diabetic treatment regimens. It also has more immediate practical benefits in focusing attention on children whose control is deteriorating.