Watch that sugar level: What You Need to Know About Childhood Diabetes

Childhood diabetes isn’t common, but the last 30 years have seen a significant increase in the number of cases worldwide. For every 100,000 children, Type I diabetes has been diagnosed in 43 kids in Finland, 25 in Scotland, and 17 in England and Wales each year. And due to the increase in childhood obesity, Type II diabetes is becoming a problem as well among young people in the U.S. and Europe.

 

Definition

Diabetes occurs when there are abnormally elevated blood glucose levels. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, is the hormone that moves glucose from the blood to other cells to use for energy. A lack or absence of insulin leads to abnormalities in metabolizing carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Glucose then builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body.

 

Common Types

• Type I diabetes.

Previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes, this type can occur at any age but usually strikes during childhood. With Type I diabetes, the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues and organs, including the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

• Type II diabetes

This type is characterized by the pancreas’s inability to produce adequate amounts of insulin, or the inability of the body to properly utilize the insulin that is produced.

Type II diabetes was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, and may account for 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases.

Type II diabetics are usually overweight.

 

Click here to read on about the causes of childhood diabetes, its symptoms, and living with diabetes.

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Read on about the causes of childhood diabetes, its symptoms, and living with diabetes.

 

Causes

Possible triggers for Type I diabetes include infection from a specific virus or bacteria, exposure to food-borne chemical toxins, and exposure as a very young infant to cow’s milk.

For Type II diabetes, possible triggers are aging, obesity, and physical inactivity.

Eating sweets does not directly cause diabetes. However, excessive sugar intake can lead to obesity, which is associated with Type II diabetes. Stress does not cause diabetes, either, although it may trigger an auto-immune reaction that could lead to Type I diabetes. Stress can also worsen symptoms for diabetics.

 

Symptoms

• extreme thirst
• frequent urination
• drowsiness or lethargy
• sudden weight loss
• sudden vision change
• fruity odor on breath
• heavy or labored breathing
• stupor or unconsciousness

 

Living with Diabetes

Managing childhood diabetes requires patience, diligence, and several (sometimes extreme) lifestyle changes. Below are a few steps to keep your diabetic child in optimum condition:

Constantly monitor your child’s blood-sugar levels. This reduces the risk of having complications like hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and problems with the kidney, heart, eyes, and nerves.

Learn how to administer insulin injections. Daily dosage for most kids requires fast-acting insulin during the day and slow-acting insulin at night. Very young children normally don’t need an injection at night, but will need one as they get older.

Control your child’s diet and weight. Carbohydrates should account for 40 to 60 percent of the daily recommended calories. Type I diabetics should eat about 35 calories per kilogram of body weight daily. Type II diabetics, on the other hand, should maintain a 1,500- to 1,800-calorie daily diet to lose excess weight and get within their ideal weight range. Since diabetes increases the risk of developing heart disease and high blood pressure, try to keep your child away from food high in sodium and saturated fat.

Let your child get plenty of exercise to decrease blood-glucose levels. However, if your child takes insulin, monitor the level of his or her physical activity. The combination of insulin and too much exercise can lead to a hypoglycemic episode, or hypo.

During a hypo, your kid may experience paleness, perspiration, a general feeling of weakness, rapid heartbeat, hunger, difficulty concentrating, irritability, blurred vision, temporary loss of consciousness, confusion, convulsions, and even a coma.

To counter hypos, make sure your child has a ready source of sugar. Before your child plays a sport or exercises, let him eat an extra slice of bread or have a glass of fruit juice.

 

Click here to learn about a 1-week menu for diabetic kids.

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1-week Menu for Diabetic Kids

Children with diabetes should eat 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks a day. Felicidad Velandria, RND, and Milagros Villadolid, RND, research specialists at the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, recommend this 1-week dietary regimen.

 

Photography by Jun Pinzon