Transient and permanent neonatal diabetes.

Neonatal diabetes, which may be transient or permanent, is rare. Most patients are full-term but small- for-date infants. Typical symptoms of diabetes mellitus occur within the first 4 weeks of life, requiring insulin therapy and very strict blood glucose monitoring. Subsequent growth and psychomotor development are usually normal. In about 33% of these patients the diabetes remains permanent; the transient cases, however, often develop permanent diabetes mellitus later in life. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is present in some patients. Neonatal diabetes differs from type-I diabetes in many aspects and seems to form a distinct entity of inborn pancreatic malfunction.