Diabetes in Children: Types, Symptoms, and Treatment

Not only adults, children are also at risk of developing diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes. Therefore, it is important for parents to regularly check their children’s health. Find out more about the symptoms, treatment, and prevention of diabetes below!

Types of Diabetes in Children

As in adults, the following are two types of diabetes that can occur in children:

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes often occurs in children. This is because the child’s body usually does not have the ability to produce insulin by itself. As a result, it is difficult for sugar in the blood to be processed into energy and accumulates.

Type 2 Diabetes

This type of diabetes rarely occurs in children, although the risk of developing this disease is still great. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the insulin produced by the body cannot work optimally. As a result, the body experiences a buildup of sugar in the blood.

According to data obtained from the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), the incidence of diabetes mellitus in children aged 0-18 years has increased by 700% over a period of 10 years.

Symptoms of Diabetes in Children

The characteristics of diabetes in children are more or less the same as what is experienced by parents. However, most of the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children overlap.

In general, the following are symptoms of diabetes in children, including:

1. Changes in eating and sleeping habits

People with diabetes usually tend to drink more water than usual, according to American Diabetes Association. The health condition can make people with diabetes feel very thirsty or hungry, no matter how much they eat.

Also Read: 12 Diabetes Symptoms to Watch Out For!

2. Frequent urination

Given that diabetics drink more water, children will experience an increase in the frequency of urination. In addition to the intensity of urination, bowel movements also need attention.

Children with diabetes may wake up frequently at night to urinate or even wet the bed frequently. While during the day, sometimes the child will go to the toilet every 15 minutes.

3. Weight Changes

This condition is common before a child is diagnosed with diabetes. You should be wary if your child experiences significant weight loss because it can indicate type 1 diabetes. Meanwhile, slow and excessive weight gain can indicate type 2 diabetes.

4. Decreased Energy and Fatigue

Extreme tiredness and decreased energy are also symptoms to watch out for, especially if your child is feeling more tired than usual.

In terms of symptoms, they can actually be similar to those felt by adults. So, there will likely be a bit more fatigue in the child, or maybe even experience ups and downs in the child’s energy.

5. Vision Problems

A spike in blood sugar in a child can cause the lens of the eye to swell, leading to blurred vision. As a result, children’s vision may be unbalanced and unable to focus clearly on objects.

6. Fruit Fragrant Breath

Children with diabetes usually have fruity breath or smell like fruit-flavored gum. These potentially life-threatening symptoms may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis (high levels of ketones in the body). This condition usually only occurs in type 1 diabetes.

7. Digestive Problems

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetics may also experience digestive problems characterized by nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain. These gastrointestinal symptoms tend to be more common in people with type 1 diabetes.

8. Numbness or Tingling

High blood sugar levels in children can cause diabetic neuropathy, which is a form of nerve damage. This condition takes many forms, including feeling numb or tingling in the hands or feet.

9. Darkened Skin Folds

Diabetics may experience darkening of the skin folds, such as the armpits and neck. This symptom is called acanthosis nigricans.

Darkening of the skin folds occurs due to resistance to naturally produced insulin and is linked to type 2 diabetes.

10. Hard-to-Heal Wounds

If your child has sores or infections that last longer than usual, these are likely symptoms of type 2 diabetes. The causes are high blood sugar, diabetic neuropathy, and decreased circulation. Frequent infections also tend to occur in diabetes.

Also Read: Recognize a Healthy Diet for Diabetics

How to Overcome Diabetes in Children

Although there is no specific cure for diabetes, children with this disease can lead normal lives if the disease is kept under control.

Managing diabetes should focus on the following:

• Monitor blood sugar levels.
• Insulin therapy is given in the form of multiple injections per day or through an insulin pump.
• Maintain a healthy diet.

In addition, keep your little one’s blood sugar levels within the normal range. This can help lower the risk of long-term health problems associated with poor diabetes control.

In addition to a healthy diet, get your child to exercise for thirty minutes a day to help children manage diabetes.

How to Prevent Diabetes in Children

Children who have diabetes, especially type 2, often occur at a very young age. If you get diabetes because you have parents with a history of diabetes, there are several ways to prevent it below, you have to do well.

The following are ways to prevent diabetes for children:

1. Maintain Ideal Body Weight

Some parents often let their children eat anything because they are in a growth phase. However, if children are allowed to eat carelessly, obesity can occur and trigger health problems, one of which is diabetes.

Therefore, to prevent diabetes in children, adjust the child’s diet every day and make sure your little one gets balanced nutrition.

2. Children’s Education Regarding Their Conditions

If you are a parent who has a child with diabetes, it is best to educate them about what is happening to them in language that is easy to understand. Next, ask the child not to eat carelessly or maintain a healthy diet.

3. Diligently Doing Physical Activity

One of the triggers for obesity besides the food consumed is very low physical activity.

Usually children tend to be active in doing anything. However, under certain conditions, children become lazy to do sports because they are addicted to using gadgets.

Also Read: 7 Types of Exercise that Can Prevent Diabetes

4. Check Health Before Puberty

Generally, children who have a risk of type 2 diabetes from their parents will experience this condition before puberty. This means that before that age the child’s condition must be maintained properly and make sure to have regular health checks.

The doctor may give advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle to prevent diabetes.

5. Doing a Healthy Lifestyle

Sometimes children do what they see and imitate it. If parents can’t model healthy activities, children will be reluctant to do it too. Therefore, give children a good example in living a healthy lifestyle.

The role of parents is very important to help children prevent diabetes, starting from diet to children’s physical activity.

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