Child Diabetes

Although there seems to be a rise in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, it is possible to manage or prevent it through proper diet and exercise. Child diabetes can also be controlled by regular monitoring of blood glucose level along with medicines and insulin treatment.

Living With Diabetes

A child who has Type 2 diabetes may need to take certain precautions. Many Type 2 child diabetes cases can control their blood sugar with diet, exercise and oral medication and insulin treatments. The child may need to eat a healthy diet in order to maintain a normal body weight and get all the nutrients necessary for growth as well. Although there is no specific diabetes diet, a low-salt or low-fat diet may be recommended by doctors in children who have high blood pressure or abnormal levels of fat in the blood. Your child may require foods rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. A dietician may be able to recommend a proper meal plan depending upon the requirements of your child. Child diabetes need to perform regular physical activity as this improves the body's response to insulin and also helps remove excess fat from the body. For children who require insulin treatment, it is important to check the child's blood sugar level before any physical activity, in order to prevent hypoglycemia. It is also important to monitor the blood glucose levels in children with a glucose meter and record the readings frequently. This will help your doctor in finding out whether the blood sugar is within the specified target range and make changes in the treatment accordingly. Insulin injections, if required need to be taken along with any other medication regularly. Metformin is the approved oral medication for children with Type 2 diabetes.

Coping With Child Diabetes - What You Can Do

Living with diabetes can be really difficult for children as they may not understand frequent blood tests and the effects of various medicines. Children may also want to have a more active lifestyle than their disease may allow. Frustration may set in with physical changes during puberty making it more difficult to control diabetes. It is during such difficult times that family support along with a diabetes control team can help your child deal with the management of his or her diabetes. You can have a counselor or therapist talk to the children to help them cope with changes in lifestyle that come with Type 2 diabetes. You can even look for diabetes support groups for better support and understanding.

A positive approach for the management of child diabetes is very important for better control in the long run. Constant encouragement and teaching the affected children the right blood sugar testing method will go a long way in helping them manage their Type 2 diabetes in a better manner.