Here’s a truth to hold on to if you recently learned your child has diabetes: While this disease will certainly affect your child, it doesn’t need to limit him or her.
Many highly accomplished people share this diagnosis, from Olympic athletes to members of congress. Your child’s future is still a bright one.
Even so, diabetes is a serious disease. It has the potential – in time – to harm your child’s heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. But good blood sugar control can help prevent or delay the disease’s complications.
The more you know about diabetes, the more you will be able to help your child live well with the disease. Your child’s doctor is the first person to go to for guidance. What you’re about to read can also boost your knowledge.
Some essentials to know
Your child’s diagnosis means that his or her blood sugar is at a dangerously high level.
If your child has Type 1 diabetes, his or her body makes little or no insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. As a result, your child must take insulin daily to live. Insulin shots are the traditional way to deliver this hormone. But there’s an alternative: an insulin pump. This beeper-size device provides a steady supply of insulin through a tube under the skin.
If your child has Type 2 diabetes, his or her body either doesn’t make enough insulin or has trouble using it. A proper diet and exercise may be enough to manage your child’s diabetes. But if lifestyle changes aren’t effective, your child may need diabetes pills or insulin.
With either type of diabetes, your child’s blood sugar needs to be kept in a healthy range. To do this, your child will need to:
- Take diabetes medicine exactly as prescribed
- Check his or her blood sugar regularly. Especially if your child takes insulin, blood sugar needs frequent testing to see if it’s in a safe range.
- Stick to a healthy meal plan. A dietician can create a meal plan for your child. Like any healthy diet, it will focus on whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat foods. But if your child takes insulin, the timing of meals and snacks – along with what and how much your child eats – must be matched with the amount of insulin he or she takes and his or her level of physical activity.
- Move more. Ideally, your child needs 60 minutes of exercise every day. Being active lowers blood sugar and boosts the body’s ability to use insulin.
“Besides working with your child’s doctor, take a team approach at home,” suggests Matthew Benson, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist with Providence Pediatric Subspecialty Clinic. “Children will respond if they see mom and dad using the same healthy meal and exercise plans the child with diabetes is following.”
Kids in control
Keep in mind that even young children can help manage their disease. A toddler, for instance, can choose which finger to stick for a blood sugar test. And the more children participate in their care, the more in control they are likely to feel.
Active kids, healthy kids
Diabetes doesn’t need to sideline your child. Children and teens with diabetes can – and should – be active on playing fields, playgrounds and at home.
Everyone needs regular exercise to stay healthy, and kids with diabetes are no exception. For that matter, children with diabetes may benefit even more from being active than children without the disease. That’s because exercise helps to lower blood sugar and keep this lifelong disease controlled.
Even so, because blood sugar levels can drop during or after physical activity, it’s essential to remember these exercise safeguards from the American Diabetes Association:
Spread the word. Be sure coaches or other adults know that your child has diabetes, can spot the signs of low blood sugar (such as shakiness, sweating and irritability), and know how to respond.
Keep snack foods nearby. Depending on how hard and how long your child works out, he or she may need to eat extra snacks. Your child should also carry – or have access to – glucose tablets.
Check and check again. Your child’s doctor may advise checking your child’s blood sugar before and after exercise and every half hour during it. Also be aware that exercise, especially if it’s strenuous, may affect blood sugar for up to 24 hours after your child was active.
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