Managing Childhood Diabetes
Increasingly, children are developing diabetes. Children with diabetes should not be treated like miniature adults. Because their bodies are still developing and their needs are different than an adult’s, a unique strategy should be developed to address their concerns, such as how to manage diabetes while at school or the absences that might occur as a result of diabetes. If your child has been diagnosed with diabetes, your greatest concern should be the attention you devote to managing the disease. You will not only reduce the risk of long-term complications by keeping your child’s blood sugar in check, but instill lifelong values, such as the importance of frequent glucose testing, scrupulous administration of medication, and healthy lifestyle, as well.
Managing diabetes requires commitment and effort regardless of when it develops. But diabetes presents unique issues for children and teens with the disease. For example, the simple pleasures of childhood, such as going to birthday parties, basketball games, or sleepovers, need careful planning for the child with diabetes.
Every day, the child with diabetes may need to take insulin or oral medication. The child’s blood glucose level will have to be checked several times a day, and food intake and activity will have to be accounted for. Depending on the child’s age, these are burdens assumed by the caregiver alone, shared between an older child and the caregiver, or assumed completely by the teenager.
For the parent or other caregiver, who is performing the role of the child’s pancreas, the sheer responsibility can be daunting; it is easy for the caregiver to become overwhelmed by the daily demands of determining exact insulin amounts, anticipating the child’s carbohydrate intake and activity levels, and preventing both hypoglycemia and high blood sugar levels.
What’s more, the stress of caring for a child with diabetes can aggravate psychological, social, or financial condition of the family. For this reason seeking and getting social and psychological support is essential for the well-being of all the family members.
The child’s diabetes care team is an important resource and can often suggest effective care and treatment options. For example, a child who requires insulin daily may benefit from the use of an insulin pump. With the pump, gone are the schedules of meals, snacks, and shots; there is also less risk of hypoglycemia. In addition, using the pump allows significantly more freedom in food choices and amounts.
Yet another resource that can help ease the burden for the child and provide a break for the caregiver are the various camps for children with diabetes. Camp provides a great opportunity for children and teenagers who have diabetes to get to know others who face the same challenges and to have fun in a safe environment while learning useful coping skills.