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Pediatric Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes is a medical condition in which the pancreas stops making the insulin that the body needs. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation reports that 15,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes each year. Communication and education are important to diagnose and control the disease. The symptoms of diabetes in children can come on quickly over several weeks and being aware of what the symptoms are is important for all parents.

  1. Thirst and Urination

    • If your child has diabetes, increased thirst is one of the first symptoms that you may notice. According to The Mayo Clinic, increasing amounts of sugar build up in the child's bloodstream and causes fluid to be pulled out of the body's tissues. As the levels of sugar increase so does the child's thirstiness. The child may feel the need to drink something several times an hour. This increased thirst then causes the child to need to urinate more frequently. This may cause the child to run to the bathroom several times a day.

    Hunger

    • According to The Mayo Clinic, the insulin is in charge of moving sugar into our cells, muscles and organs so that we have plenty of energy. If we lack insulin then extreme hunger will set in. The child may feel the need to eat several times an hour. They may constantly want a snack and seem fixated on meal time.

    Weight Loss

    • Even with the increased eating the child may experience weight loss. The Mayo Clinic reports that unexplained weight loss is usually the first symptom to be noticed. The weight loss may be a little over time or all of a sudden and may seem very odd to the parents, who do not understand the correlation.

    Fatigue

    • Since there is less insulin in the child's body, and less energy to be given, the child will start to experience extreme fatigue. The child may have less and less energy for playing. They may become lethargic and need to take naps. Although, wearing down and needing to nap is normal for young children, kids with diabetes will have a noticeably reduced energy level.

    Fruity Smell

    • Many children that suffer from undiagnosed diabetes will have a strange smell on their breath. According to The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, children will have a fruity or sweet odor on the breath. This is an important clue for the parents if they smell this, because it is indicative of diabetes.

    Yeast Infection

    • Yeast infections can also occur in diabetic children. For example, The Mayo Clinic reports that a genital yeast infection may be the first symptom for diabetes in a girl. Babies that have diabetes will also have recurrent yeast infections. These yeast infections can be extremely severe and cause a much worse diaper rash than is normally seen in young children. An alert parent or physician will be able to pick up on this symptom right away.

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