We all hear of diabetes in adults, but it is important to realize that children as well can suffer from this horrible disease.[tag] Childhood diabetes[/tag] has two forms: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 is the most common form in children, as 90-95 percent of children under the age of 16 suffer from this particular type. This type is classified as being a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks one of the body’s own tissues or organs.
Although childhood diabetes is not especially common, there are marked variations around the world: in England and Wales 17 children per 100,000 develop diabetes each year, in Scotland the figure is more, with 25 per 100,000, in Finland it is 43 per 100,000, and in Japan it is 3 per 100,000.
The Causes
There is no one cause of childhood diabetes, but rather there are a few that are known. It is believed that the cause probably involves a combination of genes and environmental triggers in particular, and it is especially confusing because the majority of children who develop type 1 diabetes do not have any family history of the disease.
Therefore childhood diabetes, just as with adults, is incredibly hard to predict, and absolutely impossible to prevent.
Treatment
As of yet, again the same as with diabetes in adults, there is no cure, however there are methods of treatment that are available for childhood diabetes. The type of [tag]treatment[/tag] that will be recommended to you will depend on a few different factors in particular, such as your age, your particular situation and your general health.
Typically you will need to inject yourself with insulin several times daily in order to properly regulate your blood sugar levels, however depending on your circumstances you may have to take a more serious approach. You need to get your child in to see their doctor if you think they may have diabetes, so that their condition can be properly diagnosed and assessed and the correct form of treatment prescribed.
Their diabetes may stay the same for the rest of their life or it may gradually get worse, and this is why it is so important to keep an eye on them and their condition, watch out for any changes, and make sure to report back to your doctor with all of your findings. By working together with your doctor you will be able to treat your child’s diabetes problem as effectively and efficiently as possible.