Toddlers With Diabetes

One in every four to five hundred children is diagnosed with Type I diabetes. This is an affliction that occurs when the beta cells, located in the pancreas, are unable to properly produce the proper amount of insulin to serve the body’s needs. Insulin helps distribute sugar to the cells, which use the sugar as fuel. Without insulin, the sugar isn’t used by the cells, but settles into the bloodstream instead. High blood sugar levels can cause major complications, including nerve damage and increased risks of heart conditions and strokes.

Unfortunately, there’s no known cause for Type I diabetes, and it occurs without warning. Signs that your toddler may be a Type I diabetic may include the child being uncommonly thirsty, urinating often, having an increased appetite and having a fruit-like odor to his or her breath. Diabetes can be diagnosed by your local health clinic, by testing your toddler’s blood sugar levels.

If your toddler has been diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll need to begin checking your child’s blood sugar levels throughout the day (maybe as often as six times a day). This requires a drop of his or her blood and blood sugar meter. When a child’s blood sugar level gets too high, insulin shots may be necessary to prevent a hyperglycemic reaction. This gives your child the necessary agent to deliver sugar to the cells. Your doctor can show you how to properly administer insulin shots to an infant.

In addition to supplying your child with insulin and monitoring his or her blood sugar levels, your toddler’s diet may have to change. Too much sugar in the diet can lead to a heightened blood sugar level, causing a need for more insulin. The key to keeping your child’s blood sugar levels at a reasonable rate is repetition. Try to feed your child the same foods at the same times of day so that you can get a good baseline for your child’s blood sugar level. Also, it’s important to ensure that your child is active, since light exercise can help strengthen the body’s insulin processes.

Unfortunately, diabetes is a problem that will stick with your child for life. In preparing your child for life, help him or her to develop the proper habits to keep their condition under wraps. Non-adherence to the needs of a diabetic child can lead to many problems later in life, including kidney damage, blindness, loss of limbs, or even death.

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1. Type 1 Diabetes