More than 300,000 children and adolescents across the United States have Type 1 diabetes, and roughly 50,000 additional children have Type 2 diabetes. As these numbers continue to climb, parents sometimes wonder whether their own children are showing symptoms of diabetes, a health condition that comes with lifelong challenges and must be well managed to prevent complications.
Here is information about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, warning signs and what to do if you think your child has symptoms.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system starts attacking the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. As a result, the pancreas stops making enough insulin and too much sugar stays in the bloodstream.
As a board-certified pediatrician, I have diagnosed Type 1 diabetes in children of all ages. But there are two peak windows when kids tend to be diagnosed: between ages 4 and 6, and between ages 10-14. It’s also interesting to note that as many as one in four patients won’t develop symptoms until they are adults.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes in Children
Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes are caused by having high blood sugar. Symptoms can occur suddenly and be severe. Common symptoms of Type 1 diabetes include:
- Increased urination. Children who are potty trained may start wetting their bed.
- Increased thirst. Children may want to drink more water than usual.
- Unintentional weight loss
Increased urination and increased thirst are symptoms in more than 90 percent of patients. Unintentional weight loss is a symptom in about 50 percent of kids.
Additional symptoms of Type 1 diabetes may include:
- Increased hunger, not connected with a growth spurt
- Fatigue, including not feeling up to doing regular activities
- Irritability from having abnormal sugar levels
- Vision problems, such as blurry vision. In extreme cases, children may develop cataracts. This can be a presenting feature and suggests more longstanding elevated sugar levels from Type 1 diabetes in some children.
- Vaginal yeast infections
- Groin rashes
Fruity breath along with neurologic changes such as drowsiness and lethargy are more severe signs of diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition that needs medical treatment. This is the second- most common initial presentation of Type 1 diabetes.
If you notice symptoms of Type 1 diabetes in your child, reach out to your pediatrician right away. Your child may need treatment in the hospital setting so that blood sugar levels can be stabilized with insulin. In the initial stages of treatment, families and caregivers learn how to manage diabetes at home. The child also will start care with a pediatric endocrinologist.
Type 2 Diabetes in Children
Unfortunately, we are seeing more cases of Type 2 diabetes in children as childhood obesity becomes an increasing problem in the United States. With Type 2 diabetes, the body stops responding to insulin and also loses the ability to produce insulin normally, leading to an increase in blood sugar levels.
We start screening adolescents for Type 2 diabetes if they have certain risk factors, including a body mass index (BMI) above the 85th percentile, a family history of Type 2 diabetes, or metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar levels. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) also is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes in teen girls.
Also, children with insulin resistance may develop darkness behind the neck (called acanthosis nigricans). Children with this condition are at high risk for type 2 diabetes and should be screened.
Type 2 diabetes in kids is usually diagnosed in puberty.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes in Children
The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are similar to those of Type 1 – except kids with Type 2 diabetes experience weight loss less commonly than those with Type 1. Type 2 diabetes symptoms tend to come on more gradually than Type 1 symptoms.
Coping with Diabetes
A diagnosis of diabetes can be life altering for children and their families. Adjusting to the needed dietary changes, insulin regimen, blood sugar checks and social aspects can be difficult. Patients at Kaiser Permanente have their care coordinated by their pediatrician, pediatric endocrinologist, diabetes educator and a nutritionist when needed.
I encourage parents to learn as much as they can about the disease, join support groups and embrace healthy habits as a family, including eating healthy food, having meals and snacks on a regular schedule and exercising. Children can live long, happy lives with well-controlled diabetes.