Diabetes In Children

Among school-going children, diabetes mellitus is the most common chronic disease. Some of these young children develop diabetes mellitus a few months after birth, while others develop it during early childhood. Some children even develop the disease in their teen years. If a child has diabetes, the parents should know that they will live a full life, and function at full capacity, as long as they understand their disease. The first step is getting their child properly diagnosed. If a child shows any of the common symptoms of diabetes, such as excessive hunger, frequent urination, excessive thirst, or fatigue, they should be tested. They should also be medically tested if they are overweight, or if there is a history of diabetes in the family.

If a child is diagnosed with diabetes, the disease needs to be explained to them. The children need to understand why eating right is important, and they must also be aware of problem signs to watch out for. The parents and their doctor can explain the problems and the disease to the child together. It is also important that people should make their child to realize that diabetes does not stop them from enjoying their regular activities. The children should be encouraged to play sports and participate in other activities, as this actually helps to keep the diabetes under control. The diseased child should be fully aware of the diabetic medications that they need, including insulin injections. They should also learn how to administer their own injections as early as possible, and should be aware of which oral medication courses they take, when they are to be taken, and how much is to be taken. At times, oral medication may be needed at school, and mistakes happen when a school nurse is in charge of the health of hundreds of kids. If the child knows what is right, and what is not, however, they will often stop any mistakes from being made.

Most of the people today are asking what the cause of type 2 diabetes in children is. Type 2 diabetes is epidemic in the youth today. The reasons they get type 2 diabetes is similar to why adults get diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is normally called adult onset diabetes. Today it is called type 2 diabetes as children are also affected as much as older adults. There is even new double diabetes mellitus in children where they get both type 1 and type 2 diabetes at the same time. Most of the children today are overweight or obese. The several reasons for this condition are lack of exercise; poor diet at home without the veggies and fruits they need; poor diet at school - Are schools do not provide healthy lunches like 40 years ago; too many sodas and high fructose corn syrups in juices and foods; working parents and single moms unable to provide proper nutrition; eating at fast food restaurants and junk food for snacks; lack of exercise with computers, video games and television use instead; TV food ads promote poor quality foods with additives and little nutrition.

• Emma Bullock
• 31/01/2009, 4:59 PM
• 0 Comments