How to Detect Diabetes in Children

Diabetes affects the health and quality of life of children and adults every day. Early detection is a key component of reigning in the effects of childhood diabetes. As a parent or guardian, familiarizing yourself with the warning signs and symptoms of childhood diabetes can help protect the health of your child. With a little awareness and attention to trends in your child's health, you can help identify patterns that warrant further medical attention.

Instructions

• 1

  Monitor thirst and urination trends in your child. Take note if your child is complaining of thirst, consuming more liquid than usual or making more frequent trips to the bathroom to urinate.

• 2

  Weigh your children regularly and keep a written log. Write down the date, your child's height and their weight. Pay attention to trends that indicate your child is losing weight without concerted efforts, such as a change in diet and exercise.

• 3

  Pay attention to cuts, scrapes and abrasions. Note how long it takes your child to heal from these childhood wounds, as long healing times can indicate the presence of diabetes.

• 4

  Watch for itching and scratching. Notice any out-of-the-ordinary patches of dry skin your child encounters, especially those that don't disappear with moisturizing.

• 5

  Take note of any decrease in energy level, such as lethargic behavior, or easily-triggered exhaustion.

• 6

  Check your child's neck, as any dark rashes on the neck may indicate diabetes.

• 7

  Listen to any statements made by your child that indicate tingling in the extremities (hands, fingers, feet and toes) as this can be a symptom of childhood diabetes.

• 8

  Pay attention to hunger increases in your child, as an increase in appetite can signal diabetes onset.

• 9

  Watch for vision problems. Pay attention to any times when your child squints, shakes his or her head while attempting to read or complains of blurry vision, as this can correlate with diabetes.