A simple, non-invasive breath test may be able to help quickly diagnose type 1 diabetes in children, according to a recent study.

Researchers from the University of Oxford, Oxford Medical Diagnostics and Oxford Children's Hospital have linked a sweet-smelling chemical marker in the breath with a build-up of potentially harmful chemicals in the blood that accumulate when insulin levels are low.

Researchers hope these results -- linking and increased level of breath acetone with increased levels of ketones in the blood -- could inspire the development of a diagnostic device to identify children with new diabetes before the onset of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).  

"Our results have shown that it is realistically possible to use measurements of breath acetone to estimate blood ketones," Gus Hancock, co-author of the study, said in a statement.

About one in four children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes don't know they have it until they develop DKA, which can cause severe illness.

DKA occurs when a severe lack of insulin means the body cannot use glucose for energy and starts to break down fat instead.

For the study, researchers collected the breath samples from 113 children and adolescents between the ages 7 and 18. Isoprene and acetone were collected in breath bags and measurements were compared with capillary blood glucose and ketone levels, which were taken at the same time during a single visit to Oxford Children's Hospital.

They found a significant relationship between increased levels of acetone in the breath of the subjects and increased levels of blood ketones. They found no link between isoprene and acetone levels in breath and glucose levels in the blood.

"We are working on the development of a small hand held device that would allow the possibility of breath measurements for ketone levels and help to identify children with new diabetes before DKA supervenes," Hancock said.

Currently testing for diabetes requires a blood test which can be traumatic for children.

The findings are detailed in IOP Publishing's Journal of Breath Research.