Diabetic Children
If your child has diabetes, he or she can continue to lead a normal childhood, attend regular schools, go to summer camp, travel, and participate in athletic activities. You can let your child continue to be a child. When the disease is under control and the child is knowledgeable about diabetes strenuous activities are not harmful. Many professional athletes have diabetes. Diabetes is not contagious. There is no way one child can “catch it” from another. And, unlike most of the llnesses the child has had be lore, diabetes is a disorder that rarely goes away by itself. Early recognition and treatment of the disease are important. The goal of treatment will be adequate growth for the child, both physical and mental. You, your child, and other family members will want to learn as much as possible about living with diabetes so that family life can continue as smoothly as possible.
How Much Should a Diabetic Child Eat?
Each child is different. Each child’s needs differ from day to day Children who seem to eat too much may be taking more insulin than they need, and the extra insulin causes increased hunger. However, hunger can also be a signal that the blood sugar is low. You can do a blood test at the time the child is hungry. If the blood sugar level is often low discuss changing the dosage of insulin with the doctor and nutritionist.
Diabetic children are like all children. They will want to snack between meals. For a diabetic child being treated with insulin, calculated snacking is important because the injected insulin continues to work even if no food is eaten. If a child’s meal is delayed for any reason, a snack should be given and then the meal should be reduced in size. Appropriate snacks for a diabetic child are ones with nutritional value, such as cheese, crackers, peanut butter, and skim milk. Raisins and other dried fruits are also good snacks for the child to carry with him or her.
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