Diabetes in children: causes, symptoms, treatment

Diabetes is a serious endocrine disease associated with a malfunction of the pancreas. How does this disease occur and does it pose a threat to little sweet tooths and sweet tooths?

Unfortunately, diabetes is a disease that cannot be cured. Therefore, a child with diabetes will need ongoing treatment, remaining on the dispensary register with an endocrinologist.

LOOKING FOR THE CAUSES OF DIABETES

1. Viral infection. Mumps, rubella, measles, chickenpox, cytomegalovirus, and Coxsackie virus viruses can destroy pancreatic cells that produce insulin.
2. Heredity. Mothers with diabetes often give birth to sick babies or children with a weak pancreas.

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MAIN TYPES OF DIABETES

There are two main types of the disease: insulin-dependent diabetes (type 1) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes (type 2). While type XNUMX diabetes is prevalent among adults, type XNUMX (insulin-dependent) is prevalent among children. Please note that it is possible to transform from type XNUMX to type XNUMX, but not vice versa.

The period preceding the development of overt diabetes (prediabetes) can be recognized by the way the baby does not tolerate long breaks between meals, suddenly becomes weak, pale, and covered in sweat. Parents of children with a hereditary predisposition to diabetes, with obesity, and with various liver and kidney diseases should remember about this stage.

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SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES

1. There is a strong thirst. A child can drink 5-6 liters of water or more per day (up to 10 liters of fluid per day). Thirst is also felt at night, so such children often wake up to drink. Urine is excreted 2-4 times more than in healthy children (more than one and a half liters). Urine becomes almost as colorless as water and sticky (analysis shows the presence of sugar).
2. Emaciation. Despite the increased appetite, the child is losing a lot of weight.
3. Bad breath. The mouth smells of acetone (especially noticeable in the morning), this smell resembles the aroma of soaked apples.
4. General signs. The child feels severe weakness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and sometimes vomiting, because acetone acts on the body as a poisonous substance. The skin and mucous membranes are affected. The mucous membrane of the oral cavity in diabetes mellitus becomes bright red and dry.
5. Skin dyeing. The skin on the cheeks, in the area of ​​the superciliary arches, cheekbones, and eyelids turns red, and on the palms and feet turns yellow.

DIABETES TREATMENT

Caring for a diabetic child rests on these three pillars: constant monitoring of the child's condition, replacement therapy (replenishing the lack of insulin), and, of course, diet.

• You need to monitor your insulin levels three times a day. The more consistent your blood sugar levels are throughout the day, the higher your sensitivity to insulin, and therefore, the lower your dosage will be.
• Dosage and administration regimen. Everything is individual and depends on the severity of diabetes and the age of the child. The dosage is set by the doctor. Insulin is administered intramuscularly 15-30 minutes before meals.
• Special diet. It is necessary to feed a baby with diabetes 6 times a day or more often. A special diet for the baby will be recommended by a nutritionist or endocrinologist.

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