Type 1 diabetes mellitus, insulin dependent, is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. But getting to the diagnosis is not so simple, the average age at which children are diagnosed is eight years. Therefore, it is very important to recognize the symptoms in time for detect diabetes in young children.
One of the biggest concerns is that in young children it is more than feasible that the symptoms go unnoticed because they are quite nonspecific, but not identifying them could have complications for their health.
According to a study by the Spanish Society of Pediatric Endocrinology (SEEP), half of the children under 5 years and almost 70 percent of children under two years diagnosed with diabetes already had ketoacidosis.
Ketoasidosis is a serious complication derived from the prolonged lack of insulin in the body and which in the worst case can lead to diabetic coma.
Cases of type 1 diabetes in children has increased in recent years and the future is nothing hopeful. Currently, 5 percent of those under 5 years old suffer from it and it is believed that cases will be doubled within ten years.
Given this panorama it is very important detect diabetes in young children in time.
Symptoms of diabetes in young children
- Frequent urination, even if the child starts to wet the bed frequently when he no longer does
- Constant thirst: constantly losing thirst through the urine
- Excessive hunger
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Blurry vision
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Bad breath
Exaggerated as it may seem, if the child has any of these symptoms, Prevention is better than cure. You should tell the pediatrician who will assess whether it is necessary to perform a test to confirm or not the disease.
