When to Call a Doctor – Type 1 diabetes may cause sudden, extreme swings in blood sugar that can be dangerous. If you notice any of the symptoms of diabetes in your child, it’s important to get them a physical exam as soon as possible, so their doctor can begin treatment right away.
- The doctor will do a simple urine test to check for glucose (sugar) in the urine and a finger stick to measure preliminary blood glucose level.
- A more involved test, called an oral glucose tolerance test, can tell for certain if it’s type 1 diabetes.
- Your child will need to follow a special diet before this procedure.
If your child has already been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, call your doctor if you notice any of these signs of a low blood sugar emergency:
Blurry or double vision Cold, clammy skin Confusion Dizziness Drowsiness or tirednessExtreme or sudden hunger Headache Pale, moist skinRapid pulse Shallow breathing Sweating Weakness
Low blood sugar can be life-threatening to children with type 1 diabetes. Always call 911 or get emergency medical help if your child ever passes out or has seizures,
How do you test for diabetes in a child?
Ongoing medical care – Your child will need regular appointments to ensure good diabetes management. Visits with your child’s health care provider can include a review of your child’s blood sugar patterns, typical eating habits, physical activity, weight and medication if taken.
Growth Blood pressure Cholesterol levels Kidney and liver function Eyes ⸺ usually annually Feet Risk of polycystic ovary syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea
Your child’s health care provider will likely recommend a flu shot for your child every year, and may recommend the pneumonia vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine if your child is age 5 or older.
Can diabetes go undetected in children?
Symptoms – Type 2 diabetes in children may develop so gradually that there are no noticeable symptoms. Sometimes, the disorder is diagnosed during a routine check-up. Some children might experience these signs and symptoms as a result of too much sugar in their bloodstreams:
Increased thirst Frequent urination Increased hunger Fatigue Blurry vision Darkened areas of skin, most often around the neck or in the armpits and groin Unintended weight loss, although this is less common in children with type 2 diabetes than in children with type 1 diabetes Frequent infections
How long can diabetic child be undiagnosed?
Symptoms and Risk Factors – It can take months or years before symptoms of type 1 diabetes are noticed. Type 1 diabetes symptoms can develop in just a few weeks or months. Once symptoms appear, they can be severe. Some type 1 diabetes symptoms are similar to symptoms of other health conditions.
What happens if a child has diabetes?
What Problems Can Happen With Type 1 Diabetes? – Not having the right amount of sugar in the blood can lead to:
hyperglycemia : This is when blood sugars are too high. Kids with hyperglycemia may be extra thirsty, pee more than usual, and lose weight. High blood sugars can be treated. If they aren’t, kids can develop health issues later in life. diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) : This serious condition needs treatment right away. When there’s not enough insulin in the body to let the glucose into the cells, the body starts to break down fat instead of sugar. Symptoms of DKA can include nausea, vomiting, belly pain, fast breathing, and, in severe cases, unconsciousness. hypoglycemia : This is when blood sugars are too low and can sometime happen when people are being treated for diabetes. Symptoms can include headache, weakness, shakiness, anxiety, and sweating. growth and development problems: Some kids might grow slower than their peers or start puberty (when kids start growing into adults) later than usual.
How likely is a child diabetes?
Your child’s risk – If you are a man with type 1 diabetes, the odds of your child developing diabetes are 1 in 17, If you are a woman with type 1 diabetes and your child was born before you were 25, your child’s risk is 1 in 25 ; if your child was born after you turned 25, your child’s risk is 1 in 100,
Your child’s risk is doubled if you developed diabetes before age 11. If both you and your partner have type 1 diabetes, the risk is between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4, There is an exception to these numbers: about one in every seven people with type 1 diabetes has a condition called type 2 polyglandular autoimmune syndrome.
In addition to having diabetes, these people also have thyroid disease and a poorly working adrenal gland—some also have other immune system disorders. If you have this syndrome, your child’s risk of getting the syndrome and developing type 1 diabetes, is one in two,
- Researchers are learning how to predict a person’s odds of getting diabetes.
- For example, most white people with type 1 diabetes have genes called HLA-DR3 or HLA-DR4, which are linked to autoimmune disease.
- If you and your child are white and share these genes, your child’s risk is higher.
- Suspect genes in other ethnic groups are less well-studied; however, scientists believe the HLA-DR7 gene may put African Americans at risk, and the HLA-DR9 gene may put Japanese people at risk.
An antibodies test can be done for children who have siblings with type 1 diabetes. This test measures antibodies to insulin, to islet cells in the pancreas or to an enzyme called glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). High levels can indicate that a child has a higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
- If you think your child might have type 1 diabetes, contact your doctor,
- If a member of your family has type 1 diabetes, you may be eligible for a risk screening offered through the TrialNet Pathway to Prevention Study,
- TrialNet risk screening is free to relatives of people with type 1, and uses a simple blood test that can detect your risk of type 1 diabetes years before symptoms appear.
If you are in the early stages of type 1 diabetes, you may also be eligible for a prevention study. Learn more about how to get screened.
Can a child with type 1 diabetes live a normal life?
What is type 1 diabetes? – Type 1 diabetes is a disease that starts when the pancreas stops making enough of a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps the body use sugar from food as energy or store it for later use. If there isn’t any insulin, too much sugar stays in the blood.
How long can diabetic child be undiagnosed?
Symptoms and Risk Factors – It can take months or years before symptoms of type 1 diabetes are noticed. Type 1 diabetes symptoms can develop in just a few weeks or months. Once symptoms appear, they can be severe. Some type 1 diabetes symptoms are similar to symptoms of other health conditions.
What is one common symptom for a person who has undiagnosed diabetes?
What are the most common symptoms? – No individual is the same. The symptoms you experience won’t exactly match those of another person. However, the most common diabetes symptoms experienced by many people with diabetes are increased thirst, increased urination, feeling tired and losing weight. To find out more about common diabetes symptoms and what causes them, watch our video.
Which type of diabetes starts in childhood?
Forms of diabetes – The two most common forms of diabetes are called type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Both forms can occur at any age, but children are more likely to be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.