Diabetes in Children
There are around 29,000 children and young people in England and Wales with diabetes*. The vast majority have Type 1 but the small number of children that develop Type 2 is increasing. There is also a small number of children who have rarer forms of diabetes.
Finding out that your child has diabetes can be a worrying and stressful event. The younger the child, the more responsibility you will need to take to help them manage their diabetes. They will need guidance as they learn how to test themselves to monitor their blood glucose levels.
The good news is that diabetes is well understood, and with good management of the condition, your child should be able to live a normal, healthy life.
This section provides information relating to diabetes in children.
Included in this section:
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What Can I Do To Help My Child? If your child has diabetes, you may feel overwhelmed and worried at times. There will be new needs place on you and your child, and it is important that you work together to effectively manage the condition. |
The child’s diabetes care team for your child should include a dietitian who is familiar with the needs of children. There will be an assessment of your child's diet if the family diet needs to be adapted for diabetes. |
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If your child has been diagnosed with diabetes, they will usually be cared for by a specialist diabetes team based at a hospital as well as the GP.
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In order to help your child maintain day-to-day control of diabetes, your healthcare professional will recommend the use of a blood glucose meter. This will allow your child to test blood glucose levels at home. |
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To help manage your child’s diabetes, you will probably need to understand their insulin regimen and make small adjustments regularly to the insulin doses. |
Exercise and team sports will help your child to stay fit and healthy and will help them with their social skills. Having diabetes should not prevent them from taking part in these activities. |
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When your child is ill it can be particularly difficult to manage |
* Diabetes UK State of the Nation 2013
