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Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in children and is the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin.

It is an autoimmune disease, meaning a condition in which the body's system itself attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells of the pancreas.

How common is it?

Childhood diabetes isn't common, but there are marked variations around the world:

In Pakistan an estimated over 65,000 children have diabetes and unfortunately most of them have not been diagnosed as of yet.
In England and Wales 17 children per 100,000 develop diabetes each year.
In Scotland the figure is 25 per 100,000.
In Finland it's 43 per 100,000.
In Japan it's 3 per 100,000.

The last 30 years has seen a threefold increase in the number of diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes

What causes childhood diabetes?

The cause of childhood diabetes is poorly understood. Probably genes and environmental factors combined help trigger it. Recently Vitamin D has been strongly linked to childhood diabetes and regrettably Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in Pakistan.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms are

Thirst
Weight Loss
Tiredness
Frequent Urination
Headaches
Sweating
Tummy Pains
Headaches
Behaviour Problems

The most dangerous outcome of undiagnosed or improperly managed diabetes is diabetic ketoacidotic (DKA) coma and even death, Almost all cases diagnosed with diabetes in children are either incidental or present as DKA.

Doctors should consider the possibility of diabetes in any child who has an otherwise unexplained history of illness or tummy pains for a few weeks.

If diabetes is diagnosed, your child should be referred immediately to a pediatric diabetologist.

How is diabetes treated in children?

A multi disciplinary approach is required to treat and manage diabetes in children.

Insulin in childhood diabetes is a life saving medicine but alone is not effective in tackling this chronic illness. A team consisting of doctors, nutritionists, educators and psychiatrists are required to properly manage it.

Often in the first year after diagnosis, your child may need only a small dose of insulin. This is referred to as 'the honeymoon period'.

As well as insulin treatment, good glucose control and avoidance of ‘hypos’ (low blood glucose attacks) is important. This is because many of the complications of diabetes increase with the length of time diabetes has been present.

What can parents do?

Children bring their own problems in relation to:

Diet restrictions.
Activity levels.
Compliance with instructions.

Your family and your child's medical team can help you through difficult times.

Living with diabetes can put families under considerable strain, so access to backup support is crucial.

Education is power in the battle against diabetes. Understanding all the different aspects of diabetes and its treatment requires patience, but will benefit your child and family life.

Knowledge about these ssues is crucial to mange diabetes properly:

Injection techniques
Know the symptoms of hypo or low blood glucose and diabetic acidosis and what to do about them.
Make sure sources of glucose like toffees, biscuits, juices etc. are always available.
Monitoring of blood glucose techniques
Teach your child how to self-administer insulin injections as soon as they are old enough - around the age of nine is typical.
Regular visits to the doctor and especially if your child is ill for any reason so that dose adjustment can be made.
Inform the school teachers, colleagues, friends and whoever is in contact with your child about the symptoms of low blood glucose and what to do about them.
Contact your local diabetes association for help and support.

In the long term

A child who develops diabetes will live with the condition longer than someone who develops diabetes in adulthood.

The longer diabetes is present, the higher the risk of long-term complications such as those affecting the eyes and kidneys.

These can start after puberty, but are usually a concern only in later life.

Regular checkups for late-stage complications begin around the age of nine. From then on, this checkup is done every year.

Children with diabetes at National Institute of Child Health are seen in a designated diabetic clinic supervised by a Consultant Endocrinologist trained in the care of diabetes.
We have a devoted and dedicated multidisciplinary team of doctors, diabetic educator, nutritionist and child psychiatrist involved in taking care of these children.
We provide diabetic children with free insulin (vials and pens), glucometers and glucometer strips.
A full check up of the child is done and free laboratory investigations done regularly to check for complications like nephropathy, hypothyroidism, celiac disease, eye examination and also monitoring of metabolic control by Hb A1C.


	What is Childhood Diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in children and is the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin. It is an autoimmune disease, meaning a condition in which the body's system itself attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. How common is it? Childhood diabetes isn't common, but there are marked variations around the world: In Pakistan an estimated over 65,000 children have diabetes and unfortunately most of them have not been diagnosed as of yet. In England and Wales 17 children per 100,000 develop diabetes each year. In Scotland the figure is 25 per 100,000. In Finland it's 43 per 100,000. In Japan it's 3 per 100,000. The last 30 years has seen a threefold increase in the number of diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes What causes childhood diabetes? The cause of childhood diabetes is poorly understood. Probably genes and environmental factors combined help trigger it. Recently Vitamin D has been strongly linked to childhood diabetes and regrettably Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in Pakistan. What are the symptoms? The main symptoms are Thirst Weight Loss Tiredness Frequent Urination Headaches Sweating Tummy Pains Headaches Behaviour Problems The most dangerous outcome of undiagnosed or improperly managed diabetes is diabetic ketoacidotic (DKA) coma and even death, Almost all cases diagnosed with diabetes in children are either incidental or present as DKA. Doctors should consider the possibility of diabetes in any child who has an otherwise unexplained history of illness or tummy pains for a few weeks. If diabetes is diagnosed, your child should be referred immediately to a pediatric diabetologist. How is diabetes treated in children? A multi disciplinary approach is required to treat and manage diabetes in children. Insulin in childhood diabetes is a life saving medicine but alone is not effective in tackling this chronic illness. A team consisting of doctors, nutritionists, educators and psychiatrists are required to properly manage it. Often in the first year after diagnosis, your child may need only a small dose of insulin. This is referred to as 'the honeymoon period'. As well as insulin treatment, good glucose control and avoidance of ‘hypos’ (low blood glucose attacks) is important. This is because many of the complications of diabetes increase with the length of time diabetes has been present. What can parents do? Children bring their own problems in relation to: Diet restrictions. Activity levels. Compliance with instructions. Your family and your child's medical team can help you through difficult times. Living with diabetes can put families under considerable strain, so access to backup support is crucial. Education is power in the battle against diabetes. Understanding all the different aspects of diabetes and its treatment requires patience, but will benefit your child and family life. Knowledge about these ssues is crucial to mange diabetes properly: Injection techniques Know the symptoms of hypo or low blood glucose and diabetic acidosis and what to do about them. Make sure sources of glucose like toffees, biscuits, juices etc. are always available. Monitoring of blood glucose techniques Teach your child how to self-administer insulin injections as soon as they are old enough - around the age of nine is typical. Regular visits to the doctor and especially if your child is ill for any reason so that dose adjustment can be made. Inform the school teachers, colleagues, friends and whoever is in contact with your child about the symptoms of low blood glucose and what to do about them. Contact your local diabetes association for help and support. In the long term A child who develops diabetes will live with the condition longer than someone who develops diabetes in adulthood. The longer diabetes is present, the higher the risk of long-term complications such as those affecting the eyes and kidneys. These can start after puberty, but are usually a concern only in later life. Regular checkups for late-stage complications begin around the age of nine. From then on, this checkup is done every year. Our services Children with diabetes at National Institute of Child Health are seen in a designated diabetic clinic supervised by a Consultant Endocrinologist trained in the care of diabetes. We have a devoted and dedicated multidisciplinary team of doctors, diabetic educator, nutritionist and child psychiatrist involved in taking care of these children. We provide diabetic children with free insulin (vials and pens), glucometers and glucometer strips. A full check up of the child is done and free laboratory investigations done regularly to check for complications like nephropathy, hypothyroidism, celiac disease, eye examination and also monitoring of metabolic control by Hb A1C.				It is easy to sponsor the treatment of a patient. Learn more Help us to save diabetic children’s lives by donating today.