Juvenile diabetes in children
Overview
Type 1 diabetes in children
is a condition in which your child's body no longer produces an important
hormone (insulin). Your child needs insulin to survive, so the missing insulin
needs to be replaced with injections or with an insulin pump. Type 1 diabetes
in children used to be known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent
diabetes.
The diagnosis of type 1
diabetes in children can be overwhelming, especially in the beginning. Suddenly
you and your child — depending on his or her age — must learn how to give
injections, count carbohydrates and monitor blood sugar.
There is no cure for type 1
diabetes in children, but it can be managed. Advances in blood sugar monitoring
and insulin delivery have improved blood sugar management and quality of life
for children with type 1 diabetes.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of
type 1 diabetes in children usually develop quickly, and may include:
Increased thirst
Frequent urination, bed-wetting
in a toilet-trained child
Extreme hunger
Unintentional weight loss
Fatigue
Irritability or behavior
changes
Fruity-smelling breath
When to see a doctor
See your child's doctor if
you notice any of the signs or symptoms of type 1 diabetes.
Causes
The exact cause of type 1
diabetes is unknown. But in most people with type 1 diabetes, the body's immune
system — which normally fights harmful bacteria and viruses — mistakenly
destroys insulin-producing (islet) cells in the pancreas. Genetics and environmental
factors play a role in this process.
Once the islet cells of the
pancreas are destroyed, your child produces little or no insulin. Insulin
performs the critical job of moving sugar (glucose) from the bloodstream to the
body's cells. Sugar enters the bloodstream when food is digested.
Without enough insulin,
sugar builds up in your child's bloodstream, where it can cause
life-threatening complications if left untreated.
Risk factors
Risk factors for type 1
diabetes in children include:
Family history.
Anyone with a parent or siblings with type 1 diabetes has
. Certain genes a slightly
increased risk of developing the condition.
Genetics indicate
an increased risk of type 1 diabetes.
Race. In
the United States, type 1 diabetes is more common among white children of
non-Hispanic descent than among children of other races.
Certain viruses.
Exposure to various viruses may trigger the autoimmune destruction of the islet
cells.
Complications
Type 1 diabetes can affect
the major organs in your body. Keeping your blood sugar level close to normal
most of the time can dramatically reduce the risk of many complications.
Complications can include:
Heart and blood
vessel disease. Diabetes increases your child's risk of
developing conditions such as narrowed blood vessels, high blood pressure,
heart disease and stroke later in life.
Nerve damage.
Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels that nourish your
child's nerves. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain. Nerve
damage usually happens gradually over an extended period of time.
Kidney damage.
Diabetes can damage the numerous tiny blood vessel clusters that filter waste
from your child's blood.
Eye damage.
Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina, which may lead to vision
problems.
Osteoporosis.
Diabetes may lead to lower-than-normal bone mineral density, increasing your
child's risk of osteoporosis as an adult.
Prevention
There is currently no known
way to prevent type 1 diabetes, but this is a highly active area of research.
Researchers are working on:
Preventing type 1 diabetes in
people who have an elevated risk of the disease, and recently identified at
least one drug that may slow down the development of the condition.
Preventing further
destruction of the islet cells in people who are newly diagnosed.
Doctors can detect the
antibodies associated with type 1 diabetes in children who have an elevated
risk of the disorder. These antibodies can be detected months or even years
before the first symptoms of type 1 diabetes appear, but there is currently no
known way to slow or prevent the disease when antibodies are found. It is also
important to know that not everyone with these antibodies goes on to develop
type 1 diabetes.
While there is nothing you
could have done to prevent your child's type 1 diabetes, you can help your
child prevent its complications by:
Helping your child maintain
good blood sugar control as much as possible
Teaching your child, the
importance of eating a healthy diet and participating in regular physical
activity
Scheduling regular visits
with your child's diabetes doctor and a yearly eye exam beginning no more than
five years after the initial diabetes diagnosis or by age 10
Associated Procedures
A1C test
Pancreas transplant
Juvenile Diabetes is
biologically different than adult type II diabetes and much more devastating.
Jan Ricks Jennings, MHA,
LFACHE
Senior Consultant
Senior Management
Resources, LLC
JanJenningsBlog.Blogspot.com
412.913.0636 Cell
724.733.0509 Office
January 18, 2022
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