As parents, we do everything we can to protect our children from harm. The last thing any parent wants to learn is that their child has a potentially lifelong disease like diabetes. But this diagnosis does not have to mean your child will lead a life confined to a hospital bed; indeed, with proper treatment, diabetic children can lead active and normal lives.
It was previously thought that children were exclusively affected by type 1 diabetes (previously known as juvenile diabetes), however in recent years there have been a growing number of cases of children acquiring type 2 diabetes. Experts say our unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle are to blame. The good news is the effects are reversible with a proper diet and medical treatment.
Dealing with diabetes can be just as difficult for parents as it is for their child. There are a lot of things to consider including how you will care for your child, costs of caring for your child, as well as the potential psychological or social problems your child may experience as a result of diabetes.
The best thing to do is understand all the different aspects of diabetes so that you are well prepared and can also teach the child to cope with the disease independently. The things to do as parents are:
•Know as much as you can about diabetes, its symptoms, complications and the treatment measures
•Learn how to give insulin injections and teach your child, too
•Monitor your child’s glucose levels daily
•Know the symptoms of diabetes complications such as hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and the fastest remedies for them
•Make sure you always have sugar at your disposal
•Meet with your doctor on a regular basis as your child’s symptoms and treatment options may change over time
•Inform your child’s school, friends, relatives, etc. about your child’s diabetes and what to do during an emergency
•Submit a written plan to the school outlining your child’s meal times, snack times, as well as any symptoms and treatments of high or low blood sugar and emergency contact numbers
•Join a support group or get counseling to get feedback from other parents experiencing the same thing
•If your other children are feeling left out because of the extra attention you are giving to the diabetic child, make sure that they too are told about the condition and allowed to participate
•Maintain a schedule of meal and snacks and also promote healthy eating in the family
•Make exercise a part of your life
•Do not let your child use their diabetes to get out of doing homework or other activities they don’t want to participate in
•Encourage to participate fully in all school, or fun activities
•Let your child know that diabetes is not their fault and that it is not an embarrassment they have to hide. They can deal with it and lead a happy life.
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