Diabetes mellitus is a chronic pathology characterized by impaired insulin production. The disease in children appears abruptly and develops very rapidly. With type 1 diabetes, a child with a disability should receive the necessary treatment.
Reasons
Causes of type 1 diabetes in children:
- Heredity. When one of the family members has diabetes, the chances of developing the disease in children are high. If the father is sick, then the risk of getting sick in the offspring is 10% higher. And when the mother is sick, then by 5%.
- Past infectious diseases. After an infection, insulin production is disrupted.
- Stress. After suffering a shock, children can fall into a hypoglycemic coma.
- Toxins. With the accumulation of toxic substances in the body, hormonal failure occurs and diabetes occurs.
- Newborns weighing more than 4 kg. It is believed that such children are more likely to get sick than newborns withless weight.
- Guys who are sedentary or overweight. The patient has a history of pancreatic disease.
- Contributes to the occurrence of diabetes genetic changes in the body (Down's syndrome, Huntington's chorea).
- Rarely, the disease manifests itself during puberty.
- Injury. Postponed abdominal operations.
Symptoms
When a child begins to develop type I diabetes, the symptoms of this disease are simply impossible not to notice. In most cases, they appear quite acutely. The child has constant weakness and dizziness, and immediately after eating there is a feeling of hunger. This is due to a lack of energy, because the only source of energy in the body is glucose.
Insulin will only be produced by eating foods rich in carbohydrates. As a result of its action, cells begin to pass glucose, but even a slight failure deprives the whole organism of nutrition. If sugar does not enter the cells, then it spreads through the circulatory system and enters the urine. During this period, the child begins to experience acute symptoms of diabetes. It's about:
- constant feeling of thirst;
- fatigue;
- frequent urination (most at night);
- weight loss, even with good appetite;
- vomit;
- pruritus and other dermatological problems;
- increased irritability.
Girls in adolescence, along with these symptoms, suffer from vaginal candidiasis or thrush. If the child has at least one of the above signs, then you should immediately seek the help of an endocrinologist.
Diagnosis
A huge number of scientific achievements have been provided for modern man. That is why we can confidently 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 apparatus that is sold in pharmacies. You can also determine the presence of high sugar in a child by urine by purchasing a special test strip at a pharmacy.
After self-checking, if an increased result is detected, it is immediately necessary to go to a specialist who will prescribe an extensive diagnosis, examine 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 blood sugar does not yet exceed the critical norm. With 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 everyone who applied to the clinic.
Treatment
Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which glucose uptake and insulin production are impaired, resulting in hyperglycemia - a high amount of sugar in the blood.
Diabetes in a child is a terrible thing. This disease occurs in children of all ages, but usually before the age of 10.
Adults tend to have type 2 diabetes, but children have type 1, so a person who develops diabetes at an early age has a higher risk of complications.
Treatment of type 1 diabetes in children
Therapy for this disease in children consists of 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, a reduction in the consumption 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 on an 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 he alth and future life are at stake. Parents should be educated on how to measure blood sugar levels, when and how insulin is administered, and how to regulate its dose. The father and mother must teach their child to do everything on his own, setting the right example and supporting him in everything. The child should not feel lonely orexperience stress, because it will worsen your he alth. The child must learn self-control, not to succumb to temptations.
Physical activity
Physical activity is essential in the treatment of diabetes. In general, a person should maintain a normal weight, adjust their energy costs and expenses. Therefore, before, during and after exercise, you need to consume a certain amount of carbohydrates that your doctor has 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 is unfortunately not the case. At the moment, pharmacists have not found a cure for this disease. You can only maintain your condition in the norm. Therefore, do not believe the advertised drugs, this is a scam! Nowadays, only insulin is able to maintain normal glucose levels.
Food
Children's bodies are growing, so modern doctors do not make significant restrictions on the use of carbohydrates. Usually the 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 should correspond to all aspects of the nutrition of a he althy baby. All organic substances (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) must be balanced, only in this situationthe baby will develop normally.
The menu for a child with type 1 diabetes is as follows. The consumption 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 your child's best friend, because they can and should be consumed often. But not all fruits are acceptable every day. Oranges, strawberries, sweet apples, cherries, tangerines, pears, raspberries should only be given occasionally as they are high in sugar.
Fatty, fried foods will only worsen the condition of your child, both he althy and diabetic, so try not to include such foods, as well as spicy and too s alty foods in the diet.
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 indulgence, 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 check-ups with doctors will allow your child to develop well both inside and out.
Forbidden foods
Experts recommend protecting your child from chips, sugary bars and carbonated drinks. Of course, it is far from always possible to completely prohibit the use of these products, so parents should develop certainregulations. First of all, the child must understand that this should not be used instead of regular food. Such sweets should not be eaten in large quantities every day.
Consumption of sweets should be limited. It is best to give a few pieces daily, but not more. The most dangerous products should be under a total ban. This is carbonated water and other junk food. It is important for a child to arrange a trip to a pastry shop or cafe. It is best to set aside a specific day for this, on which you can choose any sweetness. Such a ritual should be carried out monthly in order to forget about the level of sugar at least for a while. There shouldn't be any hard limits on a child's birthday.
All baby food should be natural and fresh. It is recommended to choose ingredients rich in valuable protein and he althy 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 baby?
Many doctors advise preparing meals for a child with type 1 diabetes that contain a small amount of carbohydrates. This allows you to 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 drops in hemoglobin, and it is quite difficult to eliminate them with the help of injections. If you periodically change the dose of insulin, then this leads to problems with the vessels. Glucose in the blood will be at the same level only if all the principles are observednutrition with a properly composed diet.
Unfortunately, statistics show that there is no cure for type 1 diabetes in children.
Consequences and prevention
This is an extremely unpleasant disease that needs to be prevented, which is why several rules are recommended to prevent 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 bad heredity.
- Children born to parents with type 1 diabetes are advised to have preventive screenings as they are at risk.
- It is necessary to refuse artificial feeding. This is necessary in order to prevent negative effects, as the artificial mixture can harm the immune system.
- It is recommended to keep the baby breastfed 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 constant control of blood sugar.
- Keep an active lifestyle, preventive hardening, physical activity is welcome.
Complications
Complications of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents include the following:
- Ketoacidosis. These consequences are manifested by loss of consciousness and disruption of vital organs.
- Hypoglycemia. There is a sharp change in the level of sugar, the absencereaction of eye pupils to light, there is a loss of consciousness, convulsions, sweating increases.
- Hyperosmolar coma. Urination increases, unquenchable thirst appears.
- Lactic acidotic coma. The child experiences fainting consciousness, blood pressure drops sharply, the work of internal organs, breathing is disturbed, disappears into the urination reflex.
All these consequences are extremely unpleasant and dangerous for the child's body, so it is necessary to control and treat diseases.
