I met her at a operate for younger kids at our church. Unlike the opposite dad and mom who dropped off their children and got here again later to choose them up, this younger mother stayed and waited.
“My son has Type 1 diabetes,” she defined. “I like to observe his blood sugars when the snack is served so I may give him insulin if he wants it.”
She confirmed me the smartwatch on her wrist. Her son wears a steady glucose monitor (CGM) that information his blood sugar each 5 minutes and sends the knowledge to his mother’s machine. And as a result of he additionally wears an insulin pump, he can discretely get the insulin he wants with out the poke of a needle.
We’ve come a great distance. In the early Nineties, a buddy of mine whose younger son had Type 1 diabetes described how she’d chase her toddler round the home making an attempt to provide him the a number of pictures of insulin he wanted every day to outlive. And as a result of each blood sugar studying required a prick to his finger, she was typically unaware if his blood sugar ranges had been too excessive or too low.
Type 1 diabetes is the commonest sort of diabetes in younger individuals. It occurs when — for causes not but absolutely understood — the physique activates itself and destroys the cells that produce the hormone insulin.
Without insulin, the physique is unable to ship vitality into cells. To maintain their lives, individuals with Type 1 diabetes depend upon a number of doses of insulin daily.
Feeding children with Type 1 diabetes is difficult. They are nonetheless rising. And their appetites and habits change from day after day.
Experts inform us that nobody “food plan” is greatest for kids with Type 1 diabetes. While these children should rigorously match their insulin doses to the quantity of sugars and starches (carbohydrates) they eat, they nonetheless want the identical vitamins and experiences with meals as different kids. That’s why the know-how of CGMs (no finger sticks!) and insulin pumps that ship insulin with the contact of a button are so nice for youths.
The greatest worry for these with Type 1 diabetes is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This can happen if an excessive amount of insulin is given for the quantity of meals one eats. And it’s additionally a priority when a toddler is extra lively than typical with out correct changes to his food plan and insulin dose. In different phrases, it’s difficult.
Again, due to trendy know-how, a toddler who wears a CGM will get an audible alarm at any time when his blood sugar is on the down slope. Parents and children sleep a lot better at evening with this characteristic.
Stay tuned for extra about diabetes. In the meantime, try the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at https://www.jdrf.org/t1d-resources.
Barbara Quinn-Intermill is a registered dietitian and authorized diabetes educator affiliated with Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. She is the creator of “Quinn-Essential Nutrition” (Westbow Press, 2015). Email her at to [email protected]
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