Diabetes mellitus is a chronic pathology that is characterized by impaired insulin production. The disease in children appears sharply and develops very rapidly. With type 1 diabetes, a disabled child should receive the necessary treatment.
Causes
Causes of type 1 diabetes in children:
- Heredity. When one of the family members has diabetes, then the likelihood of the disease in children is also high. If the father is sick, then the risk of getting sick with the offspring is 10% higher. And when the mother is sick, then by 5%.
- Past infectious diseases. After the infection, a violation of insulin production occurs.
- Stress. After the shock, children can fall into a hypoglycemic coma.
- Toxins With the accumulation of toxic substances in the body, hormonal failure and the onset of diabetes occur.
- Newborns weighing more than 4 kg. It is believed that such children are more likely to get sick than newborns with less weight.
- Sedentary or overweight children. The patient has a history of pancreatic disease.
- Genetic changes in the body (Down syndrome, Huntington's chorea) contribute to the onset of diabetes.
- Rarely does the disease manifest during puberty.
- Injury. Moved abdominal surgery.
Symptoms
If a child begins to develop type I diabetes, then the symptoms of this disease are simply impossible not to notice. In most cases, they are quite acute. The child has constant weakness and dizziness, and immediately after eating a feeling of hunger. This is due to a lack of energy, because in the body only glucose acts as its source.
Insulin will be produced only by eating carbohydrate-rich foods. As a result of its action, cells begin to pass glucose, but even a minor malfunction deprives the whole organism of nutrition. If sugar does not enter the cells, it spreads through the circulatory system and enters the urine. During this period, the child begins to experience acute symptoms of diabetes. This is about:
- constant feeling of thirst;
- fatigue;
- frequent urination (most at night);
- weight loss, even with a good appetite;
- vomiting
- pruritus and other dermatological problems;
- increased irritability.
Girls in adolescence, together with these symptoms, suffer from vaginal candidiasis or thrush. If the child has at least one of the above symptoms, then you should immediately seek the help of an endocrinologist.
Diagnostics
A huge number of scientific achievements are provided for a modern person. That is why with confidence we can assure that the detection of diabetes is now at a high level. In order to determine this disease, it is enough to do a blood test. And for this it is not necessary to go to the laboratory, this can be done using a special device, which is sold in pharmacies. You can also determine the presence of increased sugar in a child by urine by purchasing a special test strip in a pharmacy.
After an independent check, if an increased result is detected, it is immediately necessary to go to a specialist who will prescribe an extensive diagnosis, conduct an examination of the child, and identify the presence of the disease. Also, modern technologies make it possible to determine the presence of diabetes mellitus even in the early stages at a time when the blood sugar still does not exceed a critical norm. Using this test, you can prevent the development of a serious illness and start treatment in a timely manner, and this gives positive results without consequences. In most cases, disability in type 1 diabetes in a child is received by all who contact the clinic.
Treatment
Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which glucose uptake and insulin production are impaired, as a result of which hyperglycemia develops - the content of a large amount of sugar in the blood.
Diabetes in a child is a terrible thing. This disease occurs in children of different ages, but, as a rule, up to 10 years.
In adults, diabetes mellitus, for the most part, is of the second type, but in children of the first, therefore, a person who has diabetes at an early age has a greater risk of complications.
Treatment of type 1 diabetes in children
Therapy of this ailment in children consists in taking insulin injections, following a specially selected diet, maintaining an active lifestyle and self-control. The diet of a diabetic child is a complete exclusion of sugar, reducing the intake of carbohydrates and trans fats to a minimum, frequent meals (about 5 times a day). In general, this diet should take into account the needs of the child at the individual level.
Psychological help
An important factor in the treatment is psychology. Parents should explain in detail to their child the problem and how to solve it. The child must realize the seriousness of the situation, that his health and future life are at stake. Parents should receive training on how to determine blood sugar levels, when and how insulin is injected, and how to adjust its dose. A father and mother should teach their child to do everything on their own, setting the right example and supporting him in everything. The child should not feel lonely or under stress, because this will worsen the state of health. The child must learn self-control, not succumb to temptations.
Physical exercise
Exercise is essential in the treatment of diabetes. In general, a person should maintain normal weight, adjust their energy costs and expenses. Therefore, before, during and after exercise, you need to use a certain amount of carbohydrates, which your doctor recommended to you. Also, the dose of glucose in the blood should be measured all the time, if the child feels worse, you need to stop training.
Medicines
There is a myth that it is possible to treat type 1 diabetes in children with drugs, but this, unfortunately, is not the case. At the moment, pharmacists have not found a cure for this disease. You can only maintain your condition is normal. Therefore, do not believe the advertised drugs, this is a hoax! Nowadays, only insulin is able to maintain normal glucose levels.
Food
The child’s body is growing, so modern doctors do not make significant restrictions on the intake of carbohydrates. Typically, a ban is imposed on a number of foods that children eat in large quantities. We are talking about sweets and other products that can harm the body.
Now about the diet for a child with type 1 diabetes. The nutrition of a diabetic child must be consistent with all aspects of the nutrition of a healthy baby. All organic substances (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) must be balanced, only in this situation the child will develop normally.
The menu for a child with type 1 diabetes is as follows. The use of such carbohydrates should be minimized: sweets, bread, potatoes, rice and semolina. All other cereals can be eaten no more than once a day.
Fruits and vegetables will be the best friend for your child, because they can and should be consumed often. But not all fruits are acceptable every day. Oranges, strawberries, sweet varieties of apples, cherries, tangerines, pears, raspberries - these fruits should be given only occasionally, since they contain a large amount of sugar.
Fatty, fried foods will only worsen the condition of your child, both healthy and suffering from diabetes, so try not to include such foods, as well as spicy and too salty.
It is necessary to firmly establish the criteria according to which the child can count on the desired trophy. Adults will have to observe this rule themselves, not to give any indulgences, because otherwise it will not bring the desired result.
Thus, diabetes is not a cross on life. A balanced diet, insulin injections, physical activity, frequent medical examinations by doctors will allow your child to develop healthy both inside and out.
Prohibited Products
Experts recommend protecting the child from chips, sweet bars and carbonated drinks. Of course, it is far from always possible to completely ban the use of these products, so parents should develop certain rules. First of all, the child must understand that this should not be used instead of ordinary food. Such sweets can not be eaten in large quantities every day.
Candy consumption should be limited. It is best to give a few pieces daily, but not more. The most dangerous foods should be completely prohibited. This is sparkling water and other junk food. It is important for a child to arrange a trip to a candy store or cafe. It is best to allocate a specific day for this, on which it is allowed to choose any sweetness. Such a ritual should be carried out monthly, at least temporarily to forget about the level of sugar. There should not be any severe restrictions on the child’s birthday.
All baby food should be made from natural and fresh foods. It is recommended that you choose ingredients rich in valuable protein and healthy fats. They can be not only of animal origin, but also of plant origin. Do not be afraid of cholesterol, because children need it.
What to cook for the baby?
Many doctors advise preparing for a child with type 1 diabetes, dishes that contain a small amount of carbohydrates. This can significantly reduce the dose of insulin. In official medicine, a certain proportion of carbohydrates is established, not exceeding 60% of the total number of calories. True, such nutrition causes sharp changes in hemoglobin, and it is rather difficult to eliminate them by injection. If you periodically change the dose of insulin, this leads to problems with blood vessels. Glucose in the blood will be at the same level only if all the principles of nutrition are observed with a properly composed diet.
Unfortunately, statistics say that type 1 diabetes is not cured in children.
Consequences and Prevention
This is an extremely unpleasant disease that must be prevented, which is why it is recommended to use several rules as a prevention of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents:
- It is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the newborn in the event that there is a poor heredity.
- Children who were born from parents with type 1 diabetes are recommended to conduct preventive examinations, as they are at risk.
- It is necessary to abandon artificial feeding. This is necessary in order to prevent negative effects, since an artificial mixture can harm the immune system.
- It is recommended that you keep your baby breast-fed as long as possible.
- It is worth following a special diet to maintain a constant body weight.
- Exclude carbohydrates and fatty foods from the diet.
- Keep a constant control of blood sugar.
- Leading an active lifestyle, preventive hardening, physical activity are welcome.
Complications
Complications of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents are as follows:
- Ketoacidosis. These effects are manifested by loss of consciousness and disruption of vital organs.
- Hypoglycemia. There is a sharp change in sugar level, the lack of reaction of the eye pupils to light, loss of consciousness, convulsions, sweating increases.
- Hyperosmolar coma. Urination increases, tireless thirst appears.
- Lactic acidosis coma. The child experiences a fainting consciousness, blood pressure drops sharply, the functioning of internal organs, breathing is disrupted, disappears into the urination reflex.
All these consequences are extremely unpleasant and dangerous for the child's body, so it is necessary to monitor and treat diseases.