Although type 2 diabetes mainly afflicts people later in life, type 1 diabetes can begin very early in childhood due to an autoimmune attack on the pancreas. This causes the beta cells in the pancreas to be destroyed, so the body can no longer produce insulin.
Children with type 1 diabetes can have a more difficult time adjusting to life with diabetes than adults so parents need to be especially caring when raising a child who has recently been diagnosed with diabetes. For example, some kids are scared of shots and will have to overcome this fear since type 1 diabetics need insulin injections everyday.
The extra stress caused by having diabetes and not properly manage it can lead to childhood depression. I hope to share a few ways you can help your child both survive and live a happy life with diabetes.
Shots: Have a routine
Lots of kids are forgetful, especially during play. Every year, lots of kids run across the street without looking because they are excited and get hit by cars.
Depending on your child's injection schedule, he or she might have to have an insulin injection after school, while he or she is playing with other kids. If the child is old enough, the child can self-inject but they might not be old enough to remember to every day, or to remember to bring a shot with them.
The way around this, other than always making sure to be with at the time of their injections, but this is not always possible for a working mother. You can get around this by getting your child into a routine, just like how brushing their teeth and putting on clothes is part of their routine. If you make it routine for them to put an injection into their backpack before school, and go to the nurse's office to get an injection (or just ask the nurse to keep some shots for them) then they will not forget to get insulin injections.
Join a support group
Your child does not have to have diabetes alone, and one of the best ways for them to become comfortable with having the disease and not be embarrassed about it is to join a support group. Online and offline support groups exist for diabetics and their families. These groups are great for dealing with any stigma that the child may feel regarding diabetes. They also help families cope with any worry and sadness they may feel for their child.
These support groups are also great because you can learn about good diabetes medical services and good diabetes doctors from people who know and trust them. This is especially necessary if you are new to an area and do not yet know your doctors: Both offline and online groups can help you find a good doctor for your child with diabetes.
About the author: Murray Newlands and his company Influence People do blogger outreach and other online marketing work for a variety of clients such as Diabetes Resource Page.
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