The Symptoms of Diabetes in Children

In recent years Type 2 diabetes, traditionally a problem diagnosed in mature adults, is now the number one type of diabetes in children. This increase parallels with the rising rates of obesity in childhood along with the low amount of exercise children now take part in. Over recent years, less sport is played in schools, and other activities such as football after school hours have been replaced with PlayStation and Internet games.

Combined with fast food that is cheap, easily available and also high in calories (kilojoules), children are eating more food than they need. And cheap and poor quality school meals have made the problem worse.

Poor eating habits and these exercise-free lifestyles are leading to metabolic problems for increased numbers of children. Francine Kaufman MD, a Los Angeles pediatric endocrinologist, points out that ten years ago, a child with Type 2 diabetes would have been considered so rare that it would have been written up in a medical journal. These days, her clinic at Children's Hospital is filled with children with Type 2 diabetes.

Roughly one third of the cases of diabetes in children is Type 2 diabetes. Its been found the average age at diagnosis is thirteen and a half years but diabetes in children has been found in four year olds. The easiest way to know if your child's weight is a problem is to use the calculator at kidshealth.org/parent/food/weight/bmi_charts.html. You put in your child's gender, birth date, height and weight... the calculator will then tell you how your child's BMI compares to healthy children of the same age, etc.

Obesity is the greatest single risk factor for Type 2 diabetes generally... especially obesity around the abdominal area. This leads to insulin resistance where the body needs to produce more insulin to keep the blood sugar level normal. It will only take a couple of years before the pancreas is unable to keep up with the increased requirements and the blood sugar levels really start to rise. At this stage, symptoms such as more frequent urination and increased thirst becomes more obvious. Excess sugar builds up in the bloodstream and then fluid is pulled from the tissues. This leads to the thirst.

Are the Symptoms of Diabetes in Children Different? As with adults, children can develop symptoms slowly over a long period. These might include some of the following:

• thirst
• tiredness
• frequent trips to the bathroom
• blurred vision
• recurring infections

Further symptoms could include vaginal or penile thrush infections which cause itching or burning on urination. On the other hand there may be no obvious symptoms. A condition called acanthosis nigricans characterized by patches of dark, velvety skin often are found in the folds and creases of the bodies of many children with Type 2 diabetes. The most common places are on the neck, armpits, or groin... this condition improves when lifestyle changes takes place.

A healthy diet for children with Type 2 diabetes includes five to nine servings of vegetables and fruit each day, along with several whole grain servings, low-fat dairy, small portions of lean protein, and only a little fat or sugary foods.

Would you like more information about alternative ways to handle your type 2 diabetes?

To download your free copy of my E-Book, click here now: Answers to Your Questions... its based on questions many diabetics have asked me over recent months.

Beverleigh Piepers is a registered nurse who would like to help you understand how to live easily and happily with your type 2 diabetes.
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