Diabetes in children is on rise due to sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food choices in the past few years. Pandemic era too contributed to this growing trend considering many kids were restricted to home and couldn’t go outside to play. Rising screentime and increasing study load could be other factors that are making children more sedentary than before. Diabetes in kids can lead to many complications and could be life-threatening too requiring hospitalisation. it’s imperative to introduce the right lifestyle changes to control their blood sugar levels. (Also read: Diabetes: Warning signs of high blood sugar that appear on skin)
COMMON CAUSES OF DIABETES IN CHILDREN
Dr Manoj Chawla, Consultant, Diabetology, P D Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Khar talks about the common reasons children get diagnosed with diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
Diabetes in children may be of different types. Most common is type 1 diabetes mellitus which is usually an autoimmune condition and has a genetic predisposition and it may follow a routine viral infection. Here the autoimmune process (our body’s immunity working against self) destroys the beta cells of the pancreas gradually leading to absence of insulin production. These children require insulin to survive and that is the only known and validated treatment worldwide.
MODY
There are some specific forms of genetic defects that may lead to another form of diabetes in childhood called MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young). These are milder and may be treated with oral drugs after genetic testing and identification and correct diagnosis.
Type 2 diabetes
Another increasing and worrisome trend is type 2 diabetes in the young where childhood obesity besides genetics and poor lifestyle plays a role. What was happening in fifth or sixth decades of life is now happening in second and third decades.
DIABETES COMPLICATIONS IN CHILDREN
Dr Chawla also opened up about all the complications children can suffer due to diabetes as kids or later on as adults.
– The complications for young diabetics can be acute where they land up in severe hyperglycaemic status leading to diabetic ketoacidosis very often requiring hospitalization and treatment.
– The other complication to avoid is hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) which may happen due to mismatch in the amount of insulin taken, amount and/or timing of food and exercise.
– The long-term dreaded complications are those affecting the heart, the kidney, eyes leading to blindness and feet leading to gangrene and amputations in the long run which have to be prevented by ensuring good blood sugar control from the beginning and reduced glycaemic variability or fluctuations in blood sugar.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES FOR DIABETIC CHILDREN
The treatment for type 1 diabetes is largely insulin therapy but diet and exercise too go a long way in ensuring good control.
“A balanced diet with reduction in simple carbohydrates, avoidance of high glycaemic index foods, carbohydrate counting and regular monitoring of sugars is the key to ensure good time in range and reduced glycaemic variability. So, diet and lifestyle remain important components for managing all kinds of diabetes,” says Dr Chawla.
CAN DIABETES IN KIDS BE PERMANENTLY TREATED?
“There is no known cure for type 1 diabetes. Though obesity leading to young type 2 diabetes can be managed with lifestyle change along with minimum medications which occasionally may be able to be stopped under regular watch and monitoring,” says Dr Chawla.