Diabetes in Children

PART 1
Section A: What I know, assume, or imagine
Diabetes mellitus or simply diabetes is a metabolic condition that leads to presence of
high sugar levels in the bloodstream (Forouhi & Newman, 2019). At the heart of diabetes is
the hormone insulin. Insulin is responsible for moving sugar (glucose) from the blood to the
body’s cells where the sugar is used to either produce energy or is stored. For people with
diabetes, either the body does not produce adequate insulin amounts or the body is unable to
effectively make use of the insulin that it produces.
I have always assumed that diabetes is a condition that affects only middle-aged and
old people. I never imagined that young adults, teenagers, and even children could be
affected by the condition. I believed that diabetes was majorly a lifestyle disease that could
only affect people who had lived a poor lifestyle for a long time. This assumption was
shattered when a friend’s child, who is barely 7, was diagnosed with diabetes. The diagnosis
was confusing to me because in addition to believing that diabetes only affected older people,
I also believed that the only way one could become diabetic if they led a healthy lifestyle was
if their family members were diabetic. There were no members in my friend’s family who
were diabetic. Thus, to me, the kid’s diagnosis remained a mystery. In fact, I initially thought
that there had been a misdiagnosis. However, it was later confirmed that the diagnosis was
indeed accurate and the kid needed to start taking steps to control his diabetes.
Section B: What I want to know
The confusion that I had about the child’s diabetes diagnosis led me to desire to know
more about diabetes in children. Knowing more about this condition in children will help me
to take measures that could help in keeping my children and possibly those of my friends
from becoming diabetic or help me to better manage their condition. The information may
also help me to better manage the condition in case my child becomes diabetic. Thus, my
research will be guided by the following questions: What is the prevalence of diabetes among
children? What type of diabetes is common among children? What are the risk factors for
diabetes in children? How can diabetes be prevented?

PART 2: Description and Background of Diabetes in Children
Diabetes is a medical condition that is caused by the body’s insufficient of insulin or
lack of its production. Since insulin is needed for cell absorption of sugar from the blood,
diabetes results in high blood sugar levels and little or no sugar in the cells.
Symptoms of diabetes in children
The symptoms of diabetes are the same for both children and adults. They include one
constantly feeling thirsty and frequent urination (Forouhi & Newman, 2019). Additionally,
since the cells lacks enough sugar to produce energy, one often feels tired. Weight loss is also
a common symptom as the cells are forced to use the body’s fats and proteins to produce

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energy (Forouhi & Newman, 2019). Some of the symptoms that are specific to children
include headaches and stomach aches.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes in children, is done
using a variety of tests. One of the tests is blood sugar test. This is diabetes type 1’s primary
screening test (Forouhi & Newman, 2019). In this test, a sample of the child’s blood is taken
at random time and the blood sugar level in the sample measured. Blood sugar level of
200mg per deciliter suggests that the child has diabetes (Forouhi & Newman, 2019). Another
test used for diagnosis of diabetes type 1 is glycated hemoglobin test (AIC test). This tests
shows a child’s average blood sugar level for a period of three months. A child is considered
to have diabetes if the AIC level is higher than 6.5% on two separate occasions (Forouhi &
Newman, 2019). The third most commonly used type of diagnosis is fasting blood sugar test.
Before taking this test, the child is required to fast overnight. After the fasting, the blood
sugar level of the child is taken. The child is considered to have type 1 diabetes if their blood
sugar level is above 126mg/dL (Forouhi & Newman, 2019).
Causes of diabetes in children
Children can suffer from both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, type 1 is by far
the most prevalent. It is estimated that around 90% of diabetic children suffer from type 1
diabetes and the rest suffer from type 2 (Wherrett et al., 2018). The causes of type 2 diabetes
are relatively straightforward. Extremely bad diets, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle are the
main causes of type 2 diabetes (Wherrett et al., 2018). The causes of type 1 diabetes are
rather unclear. Since many children with type 1 diabetes do not come from families with a
history of diabetes, it remains unclear what causes type 1 diabetes in children. The
commonly-accepted cause of type 1 diabetes is that the body’s immune system mistakenly
destroys islet cells in the pancreas which produce insulin (Wherrett et al., 2018). The
destruction of islet cells leads to production of little or no insulin. It remains unclear the
reasons behind the immune system’s destruction of islet cells. However, it is generally
accepted that a combination of genetic and environmental factors are behind the process.
Risk factors
As discussed in the causes of diabetes in children, the risk factors are inherited genetic
characteristics and lifestyle. Some children cannot naturally produce adequate insulin. This
problem puts them at a very high risk of developing diabetes. Thus, genetics and family
history are a risk factor although their role in development of diabetes is relatively slight.
Another risk factor is race. Children from certain races have been found to be more at
risk of developing diabetes than children from other races. In particular, non-Hispanic white
children are at a higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes than other racial groups (Chiang et
al., 2018). Apart from race, certain viruses have been found to contribute to the development
of diabetes.
Treatment and prevention
Since diabetes is caused by a deficiency in insulin, the only certain method of treating
children with diabetes is through insulin injection. The insulin regimen depends on the child’s

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individual requirements as well as their habits. It is common for children to use insulin pumps
to administer the insulin (Chiang et al., 2018). The insulin type administered during the day
differs from that administered at night. The insulin administered during the day is fast-acting
one while the one administered at night is slow-paced one.

PART 3: Nutrition and Dietary Recommendations

As a metabolic condition, food plays a major role in the management of diabetes. One
of the biggest misconceptions about diabetes is that people with the condition should take a
diet that is different from the one that is taken by other members of the family (Forouhi &
Newman, 2019). This is not true. Like everyone else, a child with diabetes needs to have a
healthy and balanced diet. Such a diet includes foods that are low in calories and fat and high
in nutrition (Forouhi & Newman, 2019). The foods include whole grains, lean proteins, fruits,
and vegetables.
It is important to note that there is no single dietary plan that applies to all people
living with diabetes. Each diabetic child has unique dietary needs (Chiang et al., 2018). The
type of diet that one chooses should be informed by these needs. Before deciding on a dietary
plan, it is important to consult a dietician in order to develop a meal plan that suits the unique
needs of the child and also helps them to better manage their diabetes condition.
The diet that is recommended for a child with diabetes usually seeks to achieve a
variety of goals. The first one is to ensure that the child has balanced and adequate nutritional
intake (Forouhi & Newman, 2019). Apart from helping a child to manage their diabetic
condition, a balanced and adequate nutritional intake ensures that the child remains healthy
and reduces the risk of development of other lifestyle conditions that may worsen their
diabetic condition. The other goal of the dietary plan is to limit rapid absorption of
carbohydrates. Such quick intake can result in a spike in blood sugar levels which may
worsen the diabetes condition (Forouhi & Newman, 2019). Lastly, the dietary plan seeks to
ensure that the child maintains appropriate weight. Diabetes can lead to significant weight
loss. Therefore, it is important for diabetic children to have a diet that helps them to maintain
healthy weight.

PART 4
Section A: My research process and what I learned
After identifying my discussion topic, I did preliminary search for information on the
topic. The preliminary search was meant to determine whether there was enough information
for my research needs on the topic. In doing the search, I used keywords such as “diabetes in
children”, “prevalence of diabetes in children”, “management of type 1 diabetes in children”,
and “risk factors of type 1 diabetes in children”. I used Google, an internet search engine, to
do the searching of these keywords. Having satisfied myself that there was enough
information on the subject on the internet, I searched for specific sources on Google scholar.
To evaluate the quality and authority of the sources, I checked whether they are peer
reviewed, the reputation of the journal that published them, and the date of publication. I
chose sources that are peer-reviewed, published by reputable journals, and whose publication
date was less than five years ago.
Section B: What the information means to me

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After conducting research on the diabetes in children, I realize how awfully
misinformed I was. Before doing the research, I believed that diabetes was a condition that
only affected adults. I also thought that diabetes was majorly a lifestyle disease. However,
after doing research on the subject, I have come to realize that children too can develop
diabetes. Additionally, that with the exception of type 2 diabetes which is rare among
children, lifestyle plays a minor role in the development of diabetes in children.
Another misconception that I had about diabetes in children is that the only way that it
could be controlled was through adherence to strict diet that was devoid of sugar. Through
the research, I have realized that dietary needs of each diabetic patient are unique. Thus, there
is no single meal plan that works for all diabetic children. Like the general population,
diabetics need a nutrients-rich and balanced diet.
Overall, the research on diabetes in children has enabled me to clear many
misconceptions that I had about diabetes in children. Additionally, it has provided me with
information that I can use to help a diabetic child.

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References

Chiang, J. L., Maahs, D. M., Garvey, K. C., Hood, K. K., Laffel, L. M., Weinzimer, S. A., …
& Schatz, D. (2018). Type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents: a position statement
by the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care, 41(9), 2026-2044.
Forouhi, N. G., & Wareham, N. J. (2019). Epidemiology of diabetes. Medicine, 47(1), 22-27.
Wherrett, D. K., Ho, J., Huot, C., Legault, L., Nakhla, M., & Rosolowsky, E. (2018). Type 1
diabetes in children and adolescents. Canadian journal of diabetes, 42, S234-S246.