Juliette, 5, is used to it now: it’s time for the “dextro”. She presents the tip of her finger to her mother. Several times a day, we must measure your blood sugar (or glucose level), using a device that takes and analyzes a drop of blood. This is essential in order to best adjust the insulin doses that need to be injected. Over time, the little girl will learn to heal herself.
What is diabetes ?
Each year, approximately 1 cases of diabetes are diagnosed in children under the age of 9. Figures on the rise for all age groups. the 1 type diabetes (or insulin dependent) is characterized by lack of insulin production. This hormone, naturally secreted by the pancreas, allows glucose (sugar) to enter cells, providing them with the energy they need. In children with diabetes, insulin deficiency will lead to accumulation de glucose in the blood, and cause hyperglycemia. It’s a emergency situation which should lead to rapid treatment. Because the consequences can be serious. The body must be supplied with insulin that the pancreas no longer makes.
The symptoms of the disease manifest themselves gradually: the child is always thirsty, drinks and urinates a lot, rewets the bed. He can show great fatigue and weight loss. So many signs that involve going to the emergency room. As soon as the diagnosis is made, the child is hospitalized for ten days in a specialized pediatric service. The medical team will restore their glucose levels, institute treatment, and teach parents and children to manage the disease.
To help you
Aid for young diabetics (AJD) is an association that brings together families, patients and caregivers. Its mission: to accompany and support children and their families on a daily basis, through listening, information, therapeutic education. It defends the rights of diabetics and their families, and organizes educational medical trips for children and adolescents.
Living with diabetes
The child with diabetes will be prompted very early on to take charge of your illness : measuring blood sugar, injecting insulin, etc. Support that should lead to fully autonomous to take care of oneself.
Insulin cannot be taken by mouth because it is destroyed by digestion. It must therefore be administered in the form of” daily injections. It is a lifelong treatment. On the blood sugar level, alongside the “dextros”, we can now use a reading system without having to prick our finger (FreeStyle libre, from Abott, for example): a sensor, implanted under the skin on the arm, is associated with a reader which displays the measurement. To administer insulin, we use an injection pen, or a pump that dispenses it gradually. Support is also psychological, and also concerns brothers and sisters : with the diagnosis of diabetes, the life of the whole family changes! Fortunately, in most cases, acceptance is gradual, allowing the family to get into a routine that eases the stresses of the disease.
Thanks to Carine Choleau, co-director of Aid to Young Diabetics (AJD)
More info on the AJD website