Childhood diabetes is usually type 1 diabetes. However, the number of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents has increased dramatically in recent years.
Type 1 diabetes is also called juvenile diabetes. This type of diabetes is due to a lack of insulin being produced by the pancreas.
Diabetes that is caused by a body’s increased tolerance to insulin is called type 2 diabetes. With this type of diabetes, the insulin produced by the pancreas has become ineffective in metabolizing glucose.
Both types of diabetes cause abnormally high levels of glucose in the blood. High blood sugar levels can cause complications of diabetes such as nerve damage, blindness, and blood vessel damage.
People with type 1 diabetes require insulin injections because their bodies do not produce enough insulin. Many parents opt for an insulin pump for diabetes treatment for their children.
An insulin pump is a device that administers doses of insulin as it is programmed to do. When using an insulin pump, the child only needs to be pricked once a week or so to insert the tube that will deliver the insulin from the pump rather than receiving insulin injections.
Children who were born to mothers with diabetes are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes in childhood. Type 2 diabetes in children often occurs when the child is overweight, not active, and has poor dietary habits.
Childhood type 2 diabetes is most common among American Indians. Children with type 2 diabetes often have a family history of diabetes in which many close relatives have the disorder.
For type 1 diabetes, there is not a strong link to heredity. Over three-quarters of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have at least one family member with diabetes.
Because type 2 diabetes in childhood was practically unheard of until recent years, doctors often neglect to test a child for diabetes. This means that the condition often goes untreated for a significant amount of time.
Signs of diabetes in children include increased thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, and increased appetite. If a parent notices these signs and the child has other risk factors such as being overweight or having a family history of diabetes, the child should be tested for diabetes.
Though type 1 diabetes requires prescribed insulin, type 2 diabetes can often be managed with diet and exercise. The doctor may give the parents a special diabetes diet for the child to follow. Doctors may refer the child to a dietician to create a diabetic diet.
As the child enters adolescence, the parents may want the child to become more independent in managing their diabetes so that they will be prepared to do so in adulthood. Gradually, a parent may give the child more control over their food choices and have the adolescent administer their own medication.