Home » Partners & Parents » Children's Health » Diabetes

Diabetes

© Karen Cabiac

It often seems that sugar is the mainstay of the child's diet. As parents, we often fear that, if left to their own, children would eat only sugar foods and some may resort to just pouring spoonfuls of sugar down their throat. Fortunately, children's bodies tell them that they need more and children will even seek out foods that contribute to a more balanced diet. However, we still must remain aware of what children are putting in their bodies. Imagine, then, a child who HAS to watch the amount of sugar they put into their bodies. Imagine having to prick your finger every day to test the amount of sugar in your system. (I had to do something similar. In college I had taken several courses in which as a lab exercise we were required to draw blood and test for type. I got to the point where I just could not prick my finger!)

Up until seven or eight years ago, I (for some strange reason) was under the impression that diabetes was not a "serious" disease. I thought that if a person took care of themselves that everything would be fine, as if they had no disease at all. I was quite surprised when I learned the truth about the dangers of diabetes.

There are different types of diabetes. Type I diabetes is caused by the body actually destroying the beta cells that produce insulin. Type II diabetes is caused by the body not making enough insulin or not using it properly. This type of diabetes generally occurs in adults who are over 45 and overweight. A third type of diabetes is called gestational diabetes and shows up during pregnancy. This type of diabetes can be detrimental to the unborn child if untreated or poorly controlled. All types of diabetes can be serious. For children we have to remember that they may have a hard time accepting the need to monitor their bodies, feeling that if they ignore the problem it will go away and they will be "like everyone else." They are also faced with questions and maybe even fear from daycare providers and/or school personnel.

I highly recommend several excellent sites: Children With Diabetes, which has information on any and every question or concern a child or parent may have; Melissa's Diabetes Pages, which is a warm and friendly site and easy to use; The Kitchen Link, for LOTS of recipes.

The copyright of the article Diabetes in Children's Health is owned by . Permission to republish Diabetes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.