On the occasion of Children’s Day and World Diabetes Day, let’s have a look at the type of diabetes which children suffer from at a very young age.
Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes) is an autoimmune disease where the pancreas does not make insulin (a hormone that helps glucose, or sugar, get into your cells to give them energy). Without insulin, too much sugar stays in the blood and causes this condition. Increased urination and thirst are the initial signs of this type of diabetes.
Over time, high blood glucose can lead to serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, and gums and teeth.
Being very thirsty
Urinating often
Losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet
Having blurry eyesight
Feeling very hungry or tired
Losing weight without trying
Having sores that heal slowly
Having dry, itchy skin
Kids with T1D continuously and carefully balance insulin intake while eating, exercise and other activities. They also measure blood-sugar levels through finger pricks, ideally at least six times a day, or by wearing a continuous glucose monitor.
It is estimated that India has around 97,700 children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). A study of 30 children with insulin-dependent diabetes with age at diagnosis less than 15 years, conducted in 1992, reported a prevalence of 0.26/1000 children. The peak age at diagnosis was 12 years. This was the first population-based study of the prevalence of insulin-dependent diabetes in South India and shows that insulin-dependent diabetes is not rare and is higher than that reported from many other Asian countries.
It is very unfortunate that children have to go through medical complications at an early age but if managed with care, a healthy smile will be the only outcome.
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