Table of contents:
| 1. | Know about the symptoms of diabetes in children |
| 2. | Treating Type 1 diabetes in children |
| 3. | Treating type 2 diabetes in children |
Type 1 diabetes in children patients is characterised by the cessation of endogenous insulin production, resulting in a deficiency of this vital hormone within the child's body. To ensure your child's survival, it is imperative to administer Insulin by either injections or an insulin pump to replace the deficient Insulin. Type 1 diabetes in children was previously denoted as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes.
Your child may need to fast overnight and consume a sugary liquid at the doctor's office or testing lab. The patient's blood sugar will be checked regularly for two hours. Your child has diabetes if their blood sugar level is 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or greater.
Sign of Diabetes in Children(Type 1 Diabetes):
- Frequent Urination (Polyuria)
- Excessive Thirst (Polydipsia)
- Extreme Hunger (Polyphagia)
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Blurry Vision
- Fruity Breath Odor
- Yeast Infection
Sign of Diabetes in Children(Type 2 Diabetes):
- Frequent urination and thirst
- Weight gain
- Fatigue
- Darkened Skin Patches
- Slow healing of wounds
- Yeast Infection
Know about the symptoms of diabetes in children:
The manifestation of clinical indications and symptoms related to type 1 diabetes in paediatric individuals generally transpires swiftly, manifesting in various potential indicators.
- Feeling Thirsty
- Frequent Urination: A toilet-trained child may have bedwetting
- Extreme hunger
- Unintentional weight loss
- Fatigue
- Irritability or behaviour changes
- Fruity smelling breath
Treating Type 1 diabetes in children:
To get glucose from their blood into their cells for energy, all children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes need to take Insulin. The medical staff will tailor an insulin regimen to your child's needs.
Children can get Insulin:
Most children require four or more injections daily. Insulin injections are quite painless due to the small size of the needle used. The medical staff will instruct you to ease your child's fear of needles.
With an Insulin Pump:
The insulin pump delivers steady injections through a tiny tube implanted subcutaneously.
Eating Healthy:
The optimal integration of dietary patterns, insulin administration, and physical exercise holds paramount importance in the management of normoglycemia among children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. If your child has diabetes, knowing how their blood sugar reacts to various foods will help. The medical staff will instruct you on how to:
Count Carbs in meals and snacks:
You can calculate your child's insulin requirements after you know how many carbohydrates they consume through food and drink. With this arrangement, your kid can eat whenever and whatever he or she wants.
Regular Physical Activity:
You must involve your child in regular physical activity to strengthen his/her muscles and bones. Your child's Insulin will work better by actively engaging in physical activity.
Treating type 2 diabetes in children:
- Healthy Eating
- Regular Physical Activity
- Insulin or other medications
- Blood sugar monitoring
- Weight loss surgery, in some cases
Healthy Eating:
The inclusion of dietary interventions is integral to the management of diabetes, necessitating the implementation of a rigorous diabetes-specific dietary regimen for children. Your healthcare provider may recommend weight loss to achieve and maintain an ideal weight to promote overall health. The process of losing weight can improve blood sugar levels.
- Opt for including a fruit or vegetable as a viable alternative to a food item abundant in carbohydrates.
- Substituting water for high-calorie beverages, such as carbonated soft drinks or fruit juices, is recommended.
- It is advisable to increase the frequency of home-cooked meals instead of dining out at restaurants or ordering takeaway from such establishments.
- Assist in the preparation of meals
- Consume meals at the dining table rather than in front of the television
Regular Physical Activity:
Regular aerobic exercise is essential for all individuals, even children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The results of numerous studies have shown that children and adolescents who take part in physical activities reap a wide variety of benefits, including weight management, utilisation of glucose for energy, and enhanced insulin sensitivity, leading to decreased blood sugar levels.
Incorporate regular physical activity into your child's daily regimen. The duration of an activity does not necessarily need to be continuous. It is OK to divide the task into smaller time intervals. It is advisable for a parent to encourage their child to participate in at least two hours daily physical activity or to actively participate in physical activity alongside their child.
Medication:
Authorization has been granted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to utilise three pharmaceuticals for the objective of managing type 2 diabetes in pediatric patients.
Metformin (Glumetza, Others):
The administration of this medication diminishes the hepatic secretion of glucose into the circulatory system during intermeal periods in children while concurrently enhancing the cellular responsiveness to Insulin within the body.
Liraglutide (Victoza):
The administration of this drug involves the parenteral route. Liraglutide facilitates the augmentation of insulin secretion from the pancreas in response to elevated postprandial blood glucose levels. This drug may elicit adverse effects on the digestive system, including symptoms such as nausea or diarrhoea.
Insulin:
Insulin can be necessary if a child's blood glucose levels are elevated. Insulin facilitates the cellular uptake of glucose for metabolic energy production, hence diminishing glucose concentration in the circulatory system.
Although there are many different types of insulins, children with type 2 diabetes are often treated with long-acting Insulin once daily along with a short- or rapid-acting insulin with meals; usually, an insulin pen or syringe is used to administer Insulin.
Blood Sugar Monitoring:
The frequency of blood sugar monitoring and recording will be determined by the healthcare professional for either yourself or your child. Children who are administered Insulin often necessitate more frequent testing, potentially up to four or more times per day.
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a potential therapeutic option, depending on the individual's specific needs. Regular testing is the sole means by which one may ascertain if the blood glucose level of a child is maintained within the desired range.
Weight Loss Surgery:
Individuals who are categorised as severely obese exhibit a body mass index (BMI) that satisfies the established criteria for this categorization.
Ongoing Medical Care:
Regular consultations are necessary to ensure effective management of diabetes in children. When visiting the healthcare practitioner for your child, a comprehensive assessment may be conducted, encompassing an evaluation of various aspects such as the child's blood sugar patterns, customary dietary habits, level of physical activity, body weight, and any medicine being administered. The implementation of healthy lifestyle modifications could decrease the need for pharmaceutical interventions.
The healthcare professional may assess your child's A1C levels. The American Diabetes Association generally advocates having a target A1C level of 7% or below for children and adolescents diagnosed with diabetes.
The healthcare practitioner will conduct regular assessments of your child's:
- Growth
- Blood Pressure
- Cholesterol level
- Kidney & Liver function
- Eyes – usually annually
- The chance of getting polycystic ovary syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea
- Feet
