Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41820768›Full record

ReviewEuropean journal of pediatrics2026

Screening for diabetes mellitus type 1 in the pediatric general population: an ethical analysis.

P Lechsner, R W Holl, F Steger

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in European journal of pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

P LechsnerInstitute of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), Ulm University, Partner Site Ulm, Ulm, Germany. patrick.lechsner@uni-ulm.de.
R W HollInstitute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), Ulm University, Partner Site Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
F StegerInstitute of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), Ulm University, Partner Site Ulm, Ulm, Germany.

Funding

Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt, BMFTR) 01GL2407A
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Autoantibodies can predict clinical type 1 diabetes, impacting early diagnosis, prevention, and management. While integrating antibody testing into routine practice is debated globally, ethical considerations are often overlooked. This paper explores these ethical concerns through qualitative analysis based on a literature review. A PubMed literature search provided the foundation for a qualitative ethical analysis. Arguments regarding type 1 diabetes screening were extracted from 92 eligible articles and categorized using Beauchamp and Childress's four ethical principles. A thematic and principle-oriented ethical analysis was conducted. Key ethical concerns include decision-making for children, risk determination, screening timepoints, psychological aspects, DKA rates, treatment options, and monetary and personnel aspects. Addressing these issues ensures general population screening aligns with autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.Conclusions; General population antibody screening for type 1 diabetes presents ethical challenges requiring careful consideration. While early detection offers benefits, risks such as psychological distress, stigmatization, and resource diversion must be taken into consideration. Further research should assess feasibility, including human resource demands, parental and child anxiety, optimal screening timepoints, development of educational material, children's involvement in screening, and expanding options for prevention, including teplizumab approval in the EU. What is Known: • Autoantibodies can identify individuals at risk for Type 1 Diabetes before symptom onset, and population screening is increasingly discussed as a strategy to reduce complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis. What is New: • This study provides a structured ethical analysis of general population antibody screening for Type 1 Diabetes using the four-principle framework of Beauchamp and Childress (autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice) • It identifies key ethical domains, including decision-making for children, psychological impact, screening timing, resource allocation, and emerging preventive options such as Teplizumab, that should guide future implementation and research on population screening programs.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1Mass ScreeningAutoantibodiesChildDecision MakingEarly DiagnosisEthical AnalysisEthical DilemmasHumansAutoantibodiesAutoantibodiesDiabetes mellitus, type 1EthicsMass screening

Identifiers

PMID41820768
PMCPMC12982286

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.