Diabetes in children

Symptoms of diabetes in children can often be different to those seen in adults:

• Feeling thirstier than usual
• Feeling tired
• Losing weight
• Needing to pass urine more often than usual

• Stomach aches 
• Headaches
• Behavioural problems 

As everybody can experience diabetes differently, the symptoms they experience may also be different. If your child is displaying any of these symptoms it is important to discuss them with a healthcare professional. Recognising diabetes symptoms in children can help with early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent long-term complications of diabetes. ⁵

How a child manages and treats their diabetes will depend on the type of diabetes they have: ⁵

For both types of diabetes, as your child grows so will their needs so it is important to have regular visits with their healthcare team so their treatment plan can grow with them.

Managing diabetes in children can be very complicated and there are plenty of things that parents, and carers can do to support children with their diabetes. The amount of involvement and support needed will vary depending on the age of the child. ⁷

For younger children, a carer may have to be very involved doing everything from delivering insulin to regularly monitoring blood glucose levels. As the child grows the responsibility of the carer, supported by healthcare professionals, will move away from the physical management and be more about teaching the child to manage their own diabetes. Part of this role will include education on diabetes and the importance of controlling blood glucose, as this can improve management of blood glucose levels as well as having positive psychological and social outcomes. 

For children of any age, parents and carers should make themselves aware and look out for signs of low blood glucose (known as hypoglycaemia), these include confusion, intense hunger, feeling sick, clumsiness, blurred vision and slurred speech. Carers should also make sure that the child has easy access to suitable food to help raise blood glucose levels should they drop.

Beyond management of any medications parents and carers can help manage their children’s diabetes by ensuring a healthy balanced diet with lots of complex carbohydrates and maintaining good levels of regular exercise.