Diabetes ‘n Me Blog

You may be worried about the long-term effects on your child once they are diagnosed with diabetes but their immediate concerns may be quite different.  It is natural for them to focus on things they can’t have anymore or might miss out on.  Such as cake and ice cream at birthday parties, candy from Halloween, and a big dinner with pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  But being diabetic does not mean that you have to abstain from all sweets all the time.

Plan and plan some more.  If you know that your child is going to be going to a birthday party on Saturday afternoon, alter their food intake for that day to allow them to have a small piece of cake.  Until your children are much older, it is a good idea for you to stay with them at a birthday party in case of any emergencies.

If there is a class party at the school, volunteer to make something that the class can share and your child can have safely.  If your children’s teachers are aware of the special dietary requirements they can include sugar-free treats on special occasions.

The same holds true for Christmas and Thanksgiving as for birthday parties.  Planning ahead and adjusting meals earlier in the day will allow your child to participate in all of the festivities at holiday time that revolve around food.  There are many recipes and variations to recipes that are considered diabetic friendly.  These include cakes, pies, and other desserts.

There are things that can be done so your child does not feel deprived.  It will make the transition smoother for everyone if you can continue on with life with only while integrated the changes needed for someone living with diabetes.  But the allowances should not be made every day – keep them to special occasions only.

There are different brands of insulin that are available but in each brand there are two different kinds of insulin that are used to control juvenile diabetes.  One is known as fast-acting insulin – once it is injected it acts quickly in your child’s system.  The other type of insulin is called slow-acting or last-lasting and as the name implies it is in the child’s system longer.

For most people with diabetes a combination of the two types of insulin is required.  They can be mixed together in one syringe or they can be taken separately at different times in the day.  In children, the two different kinds of insulin will still react at different times for each individual.

For some the fast-acting insulin will begin to work immediately and could be used up in a short period of time.  In this case, they may have to have a second or even third injection of fast-acting insulin throughout the day.  These are the children who may want to consider an insulin pump to reduce the number of injections they are having in a day.  An insulin pump will also provide them with a steady amount of the fast-acting insulin as they need it.

The long-acting insulin sits in a child’s body for some time before it is put to use.  The amount of time is going to vary by child.  Ideally, once the fast-acting insulin has done its work, the long-acting insulin will take over keeping a steady supply of insulin.

The combination of the two insulins and how they work together makes planning very important.  After some time you will be able to determine how your child reacts to each of the different kinds of insulins.  Planning meals and activities around how the insulin works is important not just when the injection is given.