“What are the symptoms of juvenile diabetes?”
My family has a history of diabetes and I am worried about my son getting the disease at an early age. What are the symptoms of juvenile diabetes? What should I look out for?
7 Answers
Juvenile diabetes develops usually rapidly. And hard to predict. But you could teach your child a healthy diet, regular sports activities, and an MD could control his HbA1C to see the blood sugar. Most children grow up healthy.
Diabetes is the commenest metabolic disorder encountered in children. Children mostly have type 1 diabetes, though type 2 diabetes is also catching up. The symptoms of diabetes are dry mouth, excessive thirsty, nocturia, excessive urination, bedwetting, headaches, blurred vision, weight loss etc.
If you have a family history of type 1 or type 2 diabetes you have increased risk of diabetes in the children as well. There is up to 80% risk of developing type 2 diabetes in genetically susceptible family depending whether one or both parents have diabetes.
In type 1 diabetes the risk of developing diabetes is lower than in type 2 but there is real risk involved compared to the general population. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is about 9% (30 million have Type 2 diabetes) in America. Every year about 1.5 million people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in America.
The prevalence of type 1 diabetes is about 0.5% (about 1.5 million people have type 1 diabetes in America). About 40 thousand people are diagnosed each year with type 1 diabetes in America.
The risk of a child developing type 1 diabetes if the father has type 1 diabetes is about 8-10%. But if the mother has type 1 diabetes the risk to the child is about 4-5%. If a child has type 1 diabetes in the family the siblings will have 8-10% risk of developing type 1 diabetes. If they are identical twins the risk goes up to 35% for the second twin. This shows that if there is a family history of diabetes the a real risk of developing diabetes in the family.
If there is a family history of diabetes the children should be monitored regularly. Your doctor should perform regular evaluation for blood glucose and HA1c. Fasting glucose should be <100 m g/dl. 2 hours after big meal should be <140 mg/dl.
HA1c between 5.6-6.5% is considered prediabetes. HA1c >6.5% is considered diabetes.
If there is a family history of type 1 diabetes in the family your doctor should perform the pancreatic autoantibodies such as GAD, ICA, USA, IA2; znT8 Insulin and c-peptide. If any of these 2 or more antibodies are positive close monitoring of blood glucose would necessary.
You can check blood glucose your self at home using blood glucose machine as needs and when you notice some of the above mentioned symptoms. Fasting blood glucose should be <100 mg/dl and 2 hours after eating big meal should be <140 mg/dl.
It is important that you monitor the blood glucose at home your self with out waiting for diabetics symptoms to emarge if they ever happen.
Always listening to the advice of your doctor is very important.
Good luck
If you have a family history of type 1 or type 2 diabetes you have increased risk of diabetes in the children as well. There is up to 80% risk of developing type 2 diabetes in genetically susceptible family depending whether one or both parents have diabetes.
In type 1 diabetes the risk of developing diabetes is lower than in type 2 but there is real risk involved compared to the general population. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is about 9% (30 million have Type 2 diabetes) in America. Every year about 1.5 million people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in America.
The prevalence of type 1 diabetes is about 0.5% (about 1.5 million people have type 1 diabetes in America). About 40 thousand people are diagnosed each year with type 1 diabetes in America.
The risk of a child developing type 1 diabetes if the father has type 1 diabetes is about 8-10%. But if the mother has type 1 diabetes the risk to the child is about 4-5%. If a child has type 1 diabetes in the family the siblings will have 8-10% risk of developing type 1 diabetes. If they are identical twins the risk goes up to 35% for the second twin. This shows that if there is a family history of diabetes the a real risk of developing diabetes in the family.
If there is a family history of diabetes the children should be monitored regularly. Your doctor should perform regular evaluation for blood glucose and HA1c. Fasting glucose should be <100 m g/dl. 2 hours after big meal should be <140 mg/dl.
HA1c between 5.6-6.5% is considered prediabetes. HA1c >6.5% is considered diabetes.
If there is a family history of type 1 diabetes in the family your doctor should perform the pancreatic autoantibodies such as GAD, ICA, USA, IA2; znT8 Insulin and c-peptide. If any of these 2 or more antibodies are positive close monitoring of blood glucose would necessary.
You can check blood glucose your self at home using blood glucose machine as needs and when you notice some of the above mentioned symptoms. Fasting blood glucose should be <100 mg/dl and 2 hours after eating big meal should be <140 mg/dl.
It is important that you monitor the blood glucose at home your self with out waiting for diabetics symptoms to emarge if they ever happen.
Always listening to the advice of your doctor is very important.
Good luck
Stuart Jay Brink
Endocronologist (Pediatric)
Juvenile diabetes is more recently named type 1 diabetes. Also, insulin dependent or autoimmune diabetes mellitus. All indicate a relatively younger age of onset, not directly associated with obesity (as in type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus), associated with positive blood antibodies against the pancreas (islet cell antibodies [ICA], GAD65
antibodies [GAD65], IA, Zinc transporter 8 [ZnT8] antibodies alone or in combination and often also associated with other autoimmune problems like thyroid [Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hypothyroidism,hyperthyroidism], adrenal [Addison's adrenal insufficiency], gastroparietal antibodies [pernicious anemia, B12 and folic acid deficiency], gonadal antibodies [testosterone or ovarian hormone problems] as well as celiac disease [transglutaminase, endomysial or antigliadin antibodies]). We believe these are influenced by a genetic tendency especially in the HLA region of the genes, which is inherited - so there are higher family risks - but then something in the environment (chemicals, viruses, other factors) that interact with these genetic factors that allow the auto-attack on the insulin producing beta cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. If enough damage occurs, then insulin is no longer sufficiently available and blood sugar (glucose) levels rise and then the symptoms of diabetes and all the long-term complications occur if insulin cannot be delivered and balanced against food, activity, growth needs correctly.
Symptoms arise from insulin deficiency, sugar levels rise, the body tries to get rid of the excess sugar by producing more urine. Then the body gets progressively more dehydrated from excess daytime or night time urination: more thirst, large amounts of urine produced, enuresis, vaginal or bladder infections especially yeast infections, unplanned weight loss from the excess water loss, then excess loss of sodium salt and eventually the body tries to provide lost energy from its fat stores. This produces ketones as the excess fat is burned off and further weight loss occurs. If still undiagnosed or recognized, then excess body acids can be formed and this can produced diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and lead to death ... all of these symptoms are not recognized and treatment to replace the missing insulin is not available or not begun.
Stuart Brink, MD
antibodies [GAD65], IA, Zinc transporter 8 [ZnT8] antibodies alone or in combination and often also associated with other autoimmune problems like thyroid [Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hypothyroidism,hyperthyroidism], adrenal [Addison's adrenal insufficiency], gastroparietal antibodies [pernicious anemia, B12 and folic acid deficiency], gonadal antibodies [testosterone or ovarian hormone problems] as well as celiac disease [transglutaminase, endomysial or antigliadin antibodies]). We believe these are influenced by a genetic tendency especially in the HLA region of the genes, which is inherited - so there are higher family risks - but then something in the environment (chemicals, viruses, other factors) that interact with these genetic factors that allow the auto-attack on the insulin producing beta cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. If enough damage occurs, then insulin is no longer sufficiently available and blood sugar (glucose) levels rise and then the symptoms of diabetes and all the long-term complications occur if insulin cannot be delivered and balanced against food, activity, growth needs correctly.
Symptoms arise from insulin deficiency, sugar levels rise, the body tries to get rid of the excess sugar by producing more urine. Then the body gets progressively more dehydrated from excess daytime or night time urination: more thirst, large amounts of urine produced, enuresis, vaginal or bladder infections especially yeast infections, unplanned weight loss from the excess water loss, then excess loss of sodium salt and eventually the body tries to provide lost energy from its fat stores. This produces ketones as the excess fat is burned off and further weight loss occurs. If still undiagnosed or recognized, then excess body acids can be formed and this can produced diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and lead to death ... all of these symptoms are not recognized and treatment to replace the missing insulin is not available or not begun.
Stuart Brink, MD
increased thirst, increased urination, waking up in the middle of the night to urinate several times, bed-wetting, losing weight.
Typical symptoms of diabetes are drinking more, urinating more, getting up at night to urinate, wetting the bed and/or weight loss. Any of these symptoms does not mean your child has diabetes but it means he should be seen by a healthcare professional.
Classically the symptoms have been called the three "Ps"
Polydipsia: Excessive thirst
Polyphagia: Excessive appetite
Polyuria: Excessive urination.
All while the patient loses weight.
Polydipsia: Excessive thirst
Polyphagia: Excessive appetite
Polyuria: Excessive urination.
All while the patient loses weight.
The symptoms of early diabetes in the child would be those of Type 1 diabetes what you refer to as juvenile diabetes, a term we no longer use. The symptoms are polyuria (excess urination), polydipsia (excess thirst), and polyphagia ( excess appetite though this is lost as the disease progresses.) Even with the polyphagia there will be wt. loss since there is little or no insulin there food cannot be used & is lost in the urine thus the polyuria. This lack of nutrition even in the face of excess eating will result in fatigue, loss of muscle mass & strength and a complete loss of energy. If any of these develop get him to the Dr & get his blood & urine tested for sugar levels. If found start treatment with insulin immediately. If your family history is of Type 2 diabetes, the the likelyhood of typ1 in your son is very low & I would not worry. If you continue to be concerned get a urine testing kit at the pharmacy & any time you suspect a problem test his urine for sugar. If you find none relax. If you do find some see the Dr. immediately. I doubt he get it but it is not the end of the world if he does. It can be treated today & he can do well. I have had it for 26 yrs so I know you can live well with it. God bless
