So far, there is no cure for type 1 diabetes, so if your child has it, he will probably have to take insulin for the rest of his life. He'll also need to visit his doctor about four times a year. And that's just one of the reasons why you as a parent need to be educated about diabetes. He's looking at you for comfort, reassurance and answers. So, equip yourself with as much knowledge as you can. Besides, parents of a very young child will have to prick his finger to get a drop of blood, from which they get a blood glucose reading. They will then give the child the necessary dose of insulin. Older children can learn to prick their own fingers and give themselves injections, but until then you have to do it.

It's not difficult really, to raise a child with diabetes and one of the keys lies in skillfully giving her the tools and self-confidence it takes to manage her own care. Obviously an infant or toddler can't take his own blood test or give himself injections. But even five-year-olds can learn to push down the plunger in their syringe, find new spots for injections and read a glucose test. Some seven-year-olds can measure their own doses of insulin. And most ten-year-olds can give themselves injections. Diabetes can be dealt with, as long as both the parents and the child keep cool heads and open lines of communication.One key is to raise a child whose identity is more than just ``diabetic''. The other key is not laying a guilt trip on kids who slip up from time to time. It just makes them feel worse. Be patient and supportive. Watch out for your own signs of burnout, whether it manifests as depression, anger or being overwhelmed.

Remember, kids with diabetes are still kids, which means they have a hard time concentrating on self-care details, they don't want to seem different, and they tend to not understand long-range consequences.

It's her birthday, for heaven's sake, let the poor kid eat her cake. Just make sure she takes extra insulin in advance to balance out the sugar. It's not that your kids have to maintain a zero-sweet diet. Ask any nutritionist, she will tell you that every time a child eats, her blood sugar spikes. But the child can control that spiking by taking insulin before her meals and by adopting a healthy diet - one that has low amounts of fat, moderate amounts of protein, and plenty of complex carbohydrates like in vegetables, beans, and whole-grain products. In the beginning, parents will have to help their child count carbohydrates and adjust each insulin dose. But older children can learn to keep track of their diet and injections themselves.Exercise is also important because it helps keep glucose levels down. For very young children, exercise may mean running around in the backyard, romping at the playground or riding a bike. Older children can play team sports.

Most diabetes counsellors also encourage older children to develop lifetime fitness habits, such as running, swimming, dancing or biking.You will probably hear your child's doctors and nurses refer to ``tight control''. That simply refers to vigilant diabetes management. The child, with the help of her parents, teachers, school nurses, and other caretakers, remains very aware of her blood glucose levels throughout the day and her need to balance it with food, exercise and insulin. In the short term, tight control helps prevent hypoglycemia (when there's too little glucose in the blood, as when a child takes too much insulin, skips a meal or exercises too hard) and ketoacidosis (when there's too much glucose, perhaps because the child forgot to take an insulin injection, ate too much or is under stress). In the long term, tight control can help prevent eye, kidney and heart damage.

Post Comment

Name : Email : Password : Comments :