Challenges in Treatment of Juvenile Diabetes

Teaching children the reality of diabetes as well as allowing them to be kids is an uphill task but can be achieved with some planning. It requires some delicate balancing and support from clinicians, diabetes educators, the parents of the diabetic child, friends of the child, parents of these friends, teachers, as well as healthcare organisations.

Some important points to be considered when treating a child with diabetes:

Diabetes care should fit into the family routine as close to normal as possible -The insulin delivery from syringe and vial to pen led to significant improvement in quality of life and less dependence on healthcare professionals. An insulin pen is the predominant insulin delivery system in larger part of the world. as syringes are associated with high risk of dosage errors. Pens offer repeatability in dosage accuracy, therefore these are safer and more user friendly for children with diabetes.

Diabetes care should fit into the life style not the other way around - The doctor, dietitian and diabetes educator together can bring more freedom to the life of a diabetic child. They need to be the voice of affection, compassion, humanity, maturity and understanding.

The emphasis is life and diabetes can go together -It's difficult to live with a chronic disease but it is possible. Let patients talk about how they feel about having diabetes. It is found then the child has less emotional stress and better control of blood sugar levels.

Inculcate self-reliance -Encourage them to be self sufficient when it comes to managing diabetes. A child with diabetes should be allowed to be more communicative with the doctor and diabetes educator. Parents should be in this communication loop.

Understand the lifestyle and metabolism of a child - Having diabetes should not be an impediment to enjoying life, and it's important that professionals recognises this and find strategies to manage diabetes without affecting their lifestyle. Children might want to eat take-out foods, go to parties, and do things on the spur of the moment. And they can. The diabetes educator along with doctor and dietician can help the patient realise that they can have a free and easy social life and stay within healthy limits, but this can only be achieved by being disciplined about their diabetes.

Diabetes Support Group for teenagers -Studies have proved that attending a recognised diabetes camp can help teenagers with diabetes feel better about their condition, improve self-esteem and boost confidence levels in handling their condition. Hospitals and healthcare companies along with NGOs can play a very important role in this.

Preparing for life with diabetes is an ongoing process, No one can control the process all the time. The child needs to be taught that there is nothing wrong or to feel ashamed if their blood sugar levels are not always under control.

Thus informed parenting is the key to manage the challenges of juvenile diabetic, With care, understanding and prior planning, it is possible not to deny the joys of childhood from a child with diabetes.