Diabetes in children can be difficult not only for the child who has been diagnosed with the disease, but also for the parents of the child. Some children are diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes, sometimes referred to as Juvenile Diabetes in children, which can manifest as early as the first year of life. Diabetes in children statistics show that each year, 0.02% of children will be diagnosed with Diabetes in the United States. This number equates to 186,300 individuals age one month to twenty years old.
According to the National Diabetes Fact Sheet, children under the age of ten are most likely to develop type 1, or Juvenile Diabetes, with 15,000 new cases each year, while 3,700 children are diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. As children, reach their eleventh birthday, the risks for Juvenile Diabetes decline, and the risks for type 2 Diabetes increase. Experts believe this fact is due to lack of exercise and poor dietary habits, which contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood glucose levels.
What Are the Symptoms of Diabetes in Children
Parents may wonder, “What are the symptoms of Diabetes in children?” Diabetes symptoms in children are the same as they are for adults; however, they may be less noticeable for a couple of reasons. One of the reasons parents may not notice these symptoms is due to the high number of illnesses passed around in large facilities. It is common for school age children to come home regularly with one type of infection or another. Some children with type 1 Diabetes report thinking they had the flu that just would not go away. Other children state they felt so tired, but did not tell anyone until the symptoms landed them in the emergency room.
Another reason Diabetes Mellitus in children may be hard to spot is due to mood swings, irritability, or personality changes that are synonymous with teenagers. Seeing this symptom in a middle or high school aged student is one thing, but viewing it in an elementary school child is an indicator that something is amiss.
Signs of Diabetes in Children
Parents should be alert for signs of Diabetes in children. These signs can include an excessive need to drink and to use the restroom. Children that suddenly change behaviors should indicate to parents that the child needs to see a doctor. If a child is suddenly going to the bathroom every ten minutes as well as getting up four times during the night, whereas they slept through the night, then this behavior should be a red flag. It is important to note that extreme thirst and frequent urination could also be symptoms of Diabetes Insipidus in children, which is not Diabetes at all, but rather a disease of the kidneys, which impairs the ability to process fluids.
Other warning signs of Diabetes in children may include being ravenous and losing weight regardless of how frequently they have eaten or how large of a meal they have consumed. When insulin is not being absorbed, individuals can eat large quantities, remain hungry, and still lose weight. Children may also have cuts and sores that seem to persist instead of healing normally. Slow healing wounds or recurring infections, whether it is strep throat or pink eye is a signal that the immune system is not functioning properly, which is a sign of type 1 Diabetes.
Diabetes in young children could present, as kids who were once very active are suddenly very tired and no longer interested in playing. Kids at this stage usually have stores of energy, so fatigue is another classic symptom of Diabetes in children.
