Diabetes is a disease that impairs the body's ability to use food.  The hormone insulin, which is made in the pancreas, helps the body to change food into energy.  In people with diabetes, either the pancreas doesn't make insulin or the body cannot use insulin properly.  Without insulin, sugar - the body's main energy source - builds up in the blood.

Although diabetes cannot be cured, it can be treated. With family support, daily care and treatment, you can lead a healthy, active, and fun-filled life.

Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
Hyperglycemia is a major cause of many of the complications that happen to people who have diabetes.  For this reason, it's important to know what hyperglycemia is, what its symptoms are, and how to treat it.

Ketoacidosis
Ketoacidosis is a serious condition where the body has dangerously high levels of ketones -- or acids that build up in the blood -- and it can lead to diabetic coma (passing out for a long time) or even death.  

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can happen even during those times when you're doing all you can to control your diabetes. 

Treating Diabetes

The goals of diabetes treatment for children are:

Keeping blood sugar levels in a target range means balancing insulin, food, and exercise. Remember: Food raises blood sugar levels, while insulin and exercise lower them.

A good diabetes treatment plan includes:

Ideas about how to treat diabetes have changed a lot in recent years. Diabetes treatment plans are more flexible than they used to be. Treatment is geared to the needs of the individual child and his or her family.

About Insulin
In people with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer makes insulin.  The beta cells have been destroyed.  They need insulin shots to use glucose from meals.  Learn more about insulin.

Checking your blood sugar
People with diabetes work to keep their blood sugar as near to normal as possible.  Keeping your blood sugar in your target range can help prevent or delay the start of diabetes complications such as nerve, eye, kidney, and blood vessel damage. 

Meals and Snacks

Eating meals at about the same time every day helps keep blood sugar levels in the target range. Children with diabetes often need to eat snacks during the day and before, during, or after exercise, for example crackers with peanut butter or cheese, pretzels, or apples.

You will want to know in advance about any special activities that will change your child's usual meal times. Meal planning for children with diabetes is fairly flexible these days. A schedule change can usually be dealt with by adjusting your child's meal plan or insulin dose.

Parties

Many party foods are high in sugar and fat. Generally, children with diabetes need to limit eating a lot of these foods.

A child with diabetes can occasionally eat birthday cake or other special foods. He or she may need to take more insulin than usual to prevent high blood sugar. Playing an energetic game can also be a good way of lowering blood sugar levels after eating sweets. Discuss special events with your health care team.

Sports and Exercise

Children with diabetes can - in fact, they should - play games and sports with their friends. Exercise helps to lower blood sugar levels. In addition, taking part in gym class and team sports can help your child make friends and feel like "one of the gang."

Getting regular exercise is important for children with diabetes because of the need to balance the effect of exercise with food and insulin.

Because children's lives involve a lot of unplanned activity, it's a good idea for your child to always carry snack foods like pretzels or crackers with cheese or peanut butter. Youngsters should also carry sugar cubes, hard candy, glucose tablets, or another form of carbohydrate to treat low blood sugar.

The timing of exercise may affect your child's meal plan and need for insulin. It's a good idea to ask your child's school to notify you in advance if a game or sports event will change your child's mealtime.

Your child should not exercise if he or she is having symptoms of low blood sugar.

Age-related Issues

Preschoolers   Preschool-age children with diabetes often have not learned to recognize the symptoms of low blood sugar, or they aren't able to tell others when they are feeling "low." For this reason, it's important that they have frequent blood sugar checks.

Preschoolers who are frightened by fingersticks and insulin shots may try to avoid or delay them. If this happens with your preschooler, it can help to say: "Yes, I know it hurts" and "You're being very brave." Stickers and stars can help to encourage a child to have a fingerstick or a shot.

Young children with diabetes can go through the same fussy eating phases as other children. It's usually best not to force a fussy child to eat. Have a variety of foods available. If the child rejects one food, offer something else, or offer juice or milk instead.

School-age children   School-age children want to be like their peers. It's not unusual for children with diabetes to feel "different" because they need insulin shots, check blood sugar regularly, and use a meal plan.

Talk with your health care team about how to help your child. Some children are comfortable openly talking about their diabetes care while others prefer to keep it private.

Teenagers   For the teenager with diabetes, having to take insulin, check blood sugar, and use a meal plan is bothersome. Diabetes often adds to the normal difficulties of growing up. It is not unusual for a teen with diabetes to ease up on diabetes care and try to act "like everyone else."

A relationship with an adult outside the family, such as a teacher, coach or health professional may provide the teenager with the extra support he or she needs.

Staff at your child's school need to know about your child's diabetes. At the beginning of the school year, ask for a conference with your child's teachers, coaches, the school nurse, the principal, and other school staff. This way, everyone hears the same information at the same time and questions can be answered.

Work with your child's school to prepare a written plan. It should include information such as:

The plan should outline how your child's special health care needs are to be met at school and designate a school staff member who is responsible for implementing the plan. You must be consulted about the plan, which cannot be changed without your consent. The plan should be updated every year.