Diabetes Mellitus in Children

Diabetes mellitus in children is the most prevalent endocrine disease. As in adults, it is characterized by a chronic increase in blood glucose. In children, the disease is acute and without adequate treatment leads to irreversible consequences. This state of things is explained by the intensive growth of the child’s body, enhanced metabolism.

Forms of childhood diabetes

There are two types of diabetes:

type 1 diabetes – insulin-dependent;
type 2 diabetes is non-insulin dependent.

Among children, type 1 diabetes is more common, which is characterized by low insulin levels. A sick child becomes dependent on insulin.

Diabetes mellitus in children: features

The general mechanism is the same as in adults. But there are features.

The children’s pancreas (the pancreas is responsible for the production of insulin) is small. By ten years, the mass of the body doubles. The functionality of the pancreas is finally formed by the fifth year of life. It is in this age range (from five to ten years) that there is a high risk of diabetes.
In a child’s body, all metabolic processes proceed faster. Sugar digestion too. Therefore, children love sweets so much. This is their natural need. The child’s body absorbs 10 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of weight per day. The nervous system, which in children is not well formed, also affects carbohydrate metabolism. A malfunction may occur that will change blood sugar.

Causes of diabetes in children

There is no one determinable cause of childhood diabetes. It is widely believed that excessive amounts of sweets lead to the development of diabetes in children. But this is not so. Most often, premature and underdeveloped children, those actively involved in sports, or adolescents during puberty are sick. Diabetes in infants is very rare.

Risk factors:

viral infections (which destroy the cells of the pancreas);
heredity (including high blood sugar in the mother during pregnancy);
high birth weight (more than four and a half kilograms);
metabolic disorders (obesity, hypothyroidism, etc.);
low level of natural immune defense;
sedentary lifestyle;
overeating (a large amount of sugar can be difficult for the pancreas).

The manifestation of diabetes in children

Mild forms of the disease do not manifest themselves. The first signs appear after some time.

Symptoms of diabetes in children:

Insatiable thirst. The child drinks often and very much. He even gets up at night to quench his thirst.
Frequent urination. The child goes to the toilet often and enuresis develops – bedwetting.
Dry skin and mucous membranes. After all, fluid from the intercellular space is excreted along with urine.
Unexplained weight loss. Lack of glucose leads to starvation of body cells. Therefore, body weight is reduced.
Visual impairment. Excess sugar is deposited in various organs including in the lenses of the eye. Because of this, they become cloudy, the blood vessels of the retina are destroyed, and vision is reduced.
Fatigue. The child quickly gets tired, begins to learn worse, lags behind in physical development, often complains of a headache at the end of the day.

Diagnosis of diabetes in children

The main method is a blood sugar test. If its blood content is higher than 7.6 mmol / l, then diabetes is diagnosed. If the sugar level ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 mmol / L, prediabetes is diagnosed.

To clarify the diagnosis, a glucose tolerance test is done. A blood test is done on an empty stomach. Then the child drinks 75 grams of glucose in water. Two hours later, blood is taken again. If the amount of glucose is from 7.5 to 10.9 mmol / l, latent diabetes mellitus is possible. Such children are subject to dynamic observation. If the glucose level exceeds 11 mmol / L, the diagnosis of diabetes is confirmed.

In addition, an ultrasound examination of the pancreas is performed to exclude the inflammatory process in the organ.

Treatment of diabetes in children includes diet, exercise, and drug therapy.

How to feed a child with diabetes

Diabetes treatment requires a diet. The diet of must be agreed upon with the doctor.

Nutrition should be as balanced and fortified as possible.

Products from wheat flour, rice and semolina, potatoes, pasta, citrus fruits, strawberries, raspberries, strawberries are limited.
Fatty, spicy and salty gravy, sweet sauces, sugar are completely excluded.
Any vegetables, unsweetened varieties of fruits and apples are ok.

Coarse cereal porridge can be eaten no more than once a day. The daily rate of bread is one hundred grams. Meals should be frequent and small.

Physical exercise

Exercise makes body tissues more sensitive to insulin and lower blood sugar. Therefore, exercise is an important part of treating diabetes in children. Only metered exercise is beneficial. Excessive and uncontrolled exercise contribute to the development of a hypoglycemic state.

Without fail during and after exercising you need to eat extra carbohydrates, plus periodic monitoring of blood glucose levels.

Drug therapy

The main drug is insulin. Only short-acting insulins are used for children.

The tool is injected with a special syringe pen, very convenient to use. The child can even fill the syringe on his own, set the dose and administer the drug. Just in case, he should have sweet candy in his pocket. If the dose is exceeded, sweets will help to avoid hypoglycemia.

Properly selected therapy, diet and exercise can avoid complications of diabetes in children. Small patients develop well physically and mentally, lead a full-fledged lifestyle.

Prevention of diabetes in children

Unfortunately, prevention, as such, does not exist. You can only try. For example, getting vaccinated against infectious diseases, monitor the nutrition and physical activity of the child, strengthen his immunity. Children prone to hereditary factors should be screened regularly for risk factors. But to remove these genes or to block it is impossible. When they are detected, children are allocated to a risk group.

Key recommendations:

enough sleep;
proper, healthy nutrition;
favorable psycho-emotional background;
dosed physical activity;

Plus, timely treatment of all diseases.