Diabetes: warning signs in children

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Extract from the article: Every year, World Diabetes Day is celebrated on 14 November. The youngest children are mainly affected by type 1 diabetes. According to estimates by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), in sub-Saharan Africa,

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Every year, World Diabetes Day is celebrated on 14 November. The youngest children are mainly affected by type 1 diabetes. According to estimates by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), in sub-Saharan Africa, nearly seven out of ten cases of diabetes go undiagnosed, and nearly 50,600 children and adolescents under the age of 20 are living with type 1 diabetes. What are the symptoms to identify in children?

Diabetes is a disorder in the uptake, use and storage of sugars in the diet. This chronic disease leads to hyperglycaemia, a high level of glucose. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.

Symptoms associated with type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mainly affects young people such as children, adolescents or young adults. The manifestations of type 1 diabetes are characterised by a polyuropolydipsic syndrome which causes: polyuria, i.e. a frequent need to urinate in abundant quantities, secondary enuresis, i.e. the child starts to wet the bed again when he or she was clean, polydipsia which is illustrated by abnormal thirst, tiredness, weight loss, despite a good diet.  These symptoms can occur several months or even years after the onset of the disease.

If not treated quickly, a complication can occur: ketoacidosis. The lack of insulin results in an increase in the hormones that regulate blood sugar levels: glucagon, cortisol, etc. Under the influence of these hormones, the body uses fat from the liver to make energy and produces acetone, which is harmful to the body: this is ketoacidosis.

Ketoacidosis can lead to abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, drowsiness, blurred vision, fruity odour of the breath and abnormal odour of the urine due to the production of ketone bodies, rapid breathing and, in the most serious cases, impaired consciousness. It is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible in the event of these symptoms. Diabetes in children and adolescents requires urgent treatment, usually the same day. Every effort should be made to make the diagnosis before ketoacidosis. 

Type 2 diabetes is common in young people

Almost 90% of diabetics have type 2 diabetes, according to the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM). This form of the disease occurs mainly in people over the age of 40, but children, adolescents and young adults are increasingly affected by type 2 diabetes in France. The progression of type 2 diabetes in young populations is linked to changes in lifestyle. The onset of this pathology is favoured by an unbalanced diet, a sedentary lifestyle, a lack of physical activity or sleep disorders. It is also associated with overweight and obesity.

The development of type 2 diabetes is insidious and painless and can go unnoticed for a long time: it is estimated that an average of 5 to 10 years elapses between the appearance of the first hyperglycaemia and diagnosis. In the case of type 2 diabetes, however, it is possible to notice an increase in thirst and frequency of urination in one's child.

Elom AKAKPO