There are three types of Diabetes at present. These are Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is what most children have, although some can have develop Type 2 in their teens. Type 1 simply means the pancreas does not produce any insulin at all. The Islets of Langerhans which are the cells that make the insulin for the body have shut down. There is no way for sugar or glucose to get onto the body's cells without insulin. Type 2 is caused by insulin resistance in the cells. So these two diseases are fought with insulin from other sources. Gestational Diabetes usually only occurs during pregnancy.
Treatment for the diabetic child is consistent blood testing and insulin shots. A diabetic child must also watch what he eats. He cannot have too many sweets or not go for long periods without eating. He must have constant supervision and support in this process.
Parents must teach the diabetic child the importance of keeping a schedule and testing his blood when he is supposed to do it. The diabetic child will quickly tire of having his fingers poked every day. It must be explained that this is necessary to keep his blood sugar at an appropriate range so he doesn't get sick. The diabetic child will not understand why this will or will not make him sick. This is where the constant support and supervision come in. When the parent is supportive and tries to be understanding, the child will fare so much better than one who is constantly berated and blamed for the disease. A disease, mind you, that the diabetic child did not ask for or want.
Any break in the monitoring of the blood sugar of a diabetic child can lead to disastrous results. Several things can happen ranging from fainting and seizures to a diabetic coma with too high a blood sugar. You must be very careful with the diabetic child and make sure he understands the gravity of his situation. You don't want to scare him, but he needs to be cognizant of the consequences of not taking care of himself. The sooner he can understand the necessity for keeping a schedule, the better he will want to take care of himself.
The treatment for childhood diabetes will continue throughout the rest of his life. There is no way around it. Most children lead a healthy normal life and do all the stuff that their peers can do. They have to be careful of their diet and exercise. They have to keep constant vigil over their blood sugar ranges. They will also have to take shots of insulin for the rest of their lives.
Some obese children have also developed diabetes. It is said that something in the belly fat causes a problem with glucose tolerance. This problem is found in 55% of people with Type 2 Diabetes. Since the glucose can't get to the cell, it hangs out where it is sent – the stomach area. Modest weight loss of ten to fifteen pounds can sometimes help this problem get better. The only problem is that the tendency to be insulin resistant will stay with you. So you still must be careful about your eating routines. You must also follow a schedule much like your Type I counterpart and keep a constant vigil over your blood sugars.