| |
Kids & Diabetes
By Kathy Sena
We've all seen the headlines: "Kids' Poor Diets and Lack of Exercise Can Lead to Type 2 Diabetes." And we've heard conflicting terms:
"adult-onset diabetes," "juvenile diabetes," "type 1," "type 2." Today's parents grew up in an era when we never heard of a child getting type 2 diabetes. No wonder these headlines are so bewildering! According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2007 (the most recent data available), about 186,300 children and teens in the U.S. had diabetes (type 1 or type 2). However, many kids have undiagnosed diabetes as well, according to the CDC. Confused? Here's help.
TYPE 1 DIABETES
This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. It was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar (glucose), starches and other food into energy.
Treatment for type 1 diabetes involves checking blood-glucose levels with a tiny bit of blood from a skin prick and then administering insulin or other medications via injections or an insulin pump.
TYPE 2 DIABETES
Type 2 diabetes is a bit more complicated to diagnose. With type 2, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as the older population in general. But it is on the rise in children, teens and young adults.
Experts believe that the increasing amount of obesity and the low level of physical activity among many young people, as well as exposure to diabetes in the womb (when the mother has gestational diabetes; see sidebar), may be major contributors to the increase in type 2 diabetes during childhood and adolescence.
Children and teens diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are generally between 10 and 19 years old, obese, have a strong family history for type 2 diabetes and have insulin resistance.
According to the American Diabetes Association, the first treatment for type 2 diabetes is often meal planning for blood-sugar control, weight loss and exercising. Sometimes these measures are not enough to bring blood sugar down near the normal range. The next step is taking a medicine that lowers blood-glucose levels.
It's hard to detect type 2 diabetes in children because:
• It can go undiagnosed for a long time
• Children may have no symptoms or mild symptoms
• Blood tests are needed for diagnosis
Type 2 diabetes symptoms may develop slowly. In fact, you can have type 2 diabetes for years and not even know it, according to the Mayo Clinic. Look for:
• Increased thirst and frequent urination
• Increased hunger
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Slow-healing sores or frequent infections
• Areas of darkened skin
INSPIRATION FOR KIDS
While parents listen to doctors and try to find the right care for their kids with diabetes, kids of a certain age may be most influenced by 16-year-old Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes nearly four years ago.
Jonas says when he was diagnosed with type 1, he didn't know anything about it and had never met anybody with diabetes. That's all changed now. Young people with diabetes are among his most passionate fans, and he has even written a song, "A Little Bit Longer," to share his experience with the disease.
"So many fans with diabetes, from all over the world, share their stories and thank me for being an inspiration to them," Jonas said in a recent statement. "It's important for them to know that they motivate and inspire me as well."
He has also created "Nick Jonas' Dog Tag Program" (Kids skip the medical-ID bracelet in favor of the dog tags.) The program has raised $75,000 for the Jonas Brothers' Change for Children Foundation to fight diabetes. To learn more, visit www.nickssimplewins.com and click on "Nick's Dog Tags."
Kathy Sena is a freelance writer for Genesee Valley Parent Magazine.
According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, symptoms may occur suddenly, and include one or more of the following:
• Extreme thirst
• Frequent urination
• Drowsiness, lethargy
• Sugar in urine
• Sudden vision changes
• Increased appetite
• Sudden weight loss
• Fruity, sweet or wine-like odor on breath
• Heavy, labored breathing
• Stupor, unconsciousness
Gestational Diabetes: Testing During Pregnancy Helps
As if morning sickness and swollen ankles weren't enough, pregnancy changes the way insulin works. Some women develop gestational diabetes, a condition in which a woman without previously diagnosed diabetes exhibits high blood-glucose levels during pregnancy as a result of this change. READ MORE....
This article appeared in the July 2010 issue of Genesee Valley Parent Magazine. Copyright 2010.
 Enjoyed this article? Share it with a friend!
|
