Childhood Diabetes Facts

A group of diseases that influence your child's ability to use blood sugar, diabetes affects approximately 151,000 people under the age of 20, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Whether your child has just recently been diagnosed with diabetes or has been dealing with this disease for years, understanding basic facts about childhood diabetes is essential to managing this disease successfully.

The Facts

• One of the most common chronic diseases in children, diabetes affects your child's ability to metabolize food. Your child's body breaks down most of the food he consumes into glucose, the main source of energy. Glucose can only be utilized by his body in the presence of the correct amount of insulin produced by the pancreas. The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse states that if your child has diabetes, her body produces an incorrect amount of insulin or has cells that respond incorrectly to the insulin. As a result, the glucose accumulates in your child's bloodstream, ultimately leaving his body in his urine instead of providing him with the essential energy that he requires.

Types

• The two most prevalent types of diabetes among children are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Also known as juvenile diabetes, type 1 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes that afflicts children. Type 1 diabetes arises when your child's immune system attacks the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. The resulting decrease in insulin production means that to stay alive, your child must take insulin every day. Although it is most common in adults, type 2 diabetes has been appearing in children more frequently in recent years and is typically associated with individuals who are overweight, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. A child who develops type 2 diabetes produces insulin but her body cannot utilize it. Ultimately, a decrease in insulin production occurs.

Symptoms

• Although similar, the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes differ in their onset. If your child is suffering from type 1 diabetes, he most likely will suddenly experience symptoms such as blurred vision, excessive fatigue or hunger, increased thirst, more frequent need to urinate and unexplained weight loss. Typically, a child with type 2 diabetes gradually shows similar symptoms--such as fatigue, weight loss, increased urination and excessive thirst--over a longer period of time.

Risk Factors

• Although scientists are unclear about the exact cause of type 1 diabetes, the Mayo Clinic states that your family history may contribute to your child's likelihood of developing it. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is clearly associated with certain risk factors, including race, since African American, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian American children are all more likely to develop this form of diabetes. Other factors that contribute to your child's chances of developing type 2 diabetes are excessive weight and your child's level of inactivity.

Safety Issues

• As the parent of a child with a potentially life-threatening disease, you are responsible for ensuring that your child is safe at all times, especially at school. Make sure arrangements have been made to allow for regular monitoring of your child's blood sugar levels, as well as administering regular doses of insulin as needed. The American Diabetes Association also suggests that you ensure school staff members have basic training regarding the routine preventative management and emergency care involved with diabetes.