Today, November 14, is celebrated the World Diabetes Day, is the day of the year in which the diabetes awareness campaign takes more strength. This year the theme is "Beware of diabetes". And we can not forget that diabetes is a chronic disease that affects 422 million adults worldwide, of which almost half do not know. And diabetes does not understand age. In Spain alone, more than 30,000 children under the age of 15 suffer from diabetes and the number is increasing.
Diabetes is a group of diseases that are defined by the level of sugar in the blood. In a body without diabetes, insulin, produced by the pancreas, is responsible for the cells to use this sugar (glucose) for energy. But if insulin is not produced correctly, an increase in the blood glucose level can occur, which can end up causing problems in some organs such as the kidney, heart, eyes, etc.
There are different types of diabetes, but those with the highest prevalence are type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin and must be administered intravenously. It is the most frequent type of diabetes in children.
Type 2 diabetes is the one that affects a higher percentage of the population. In this case the pancreas does produce insulin, sometimes even more than normal, but does not use it correctly. This diabetes can be controlled with a healthy diet and regular exercise, since in many occasions it is caused precisely by bad habits. Although it is diabetes that basically occurs in adults, there are more and more cases in children, which is of major concern to health professionals.
Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes can be prevented by leading an active and healthy life. Although there is an important genetic component in the development of type 2 diabetes, what is alarming is the relationship with an increase in overweight and childhood obesity. It is for this reason that pediatricians warn of the importance of carrying out a good food education and a life as sedentary as possible. And these habits can start by encouraging breastfeeding, which provides less sugar than artificial milk. In addition, we are lucky to live in a country with a Mediterranean diet, a good diet for the prevention of this disease, let's take advantage of it!
Diabetes can appear at very young ages. We leave you some symptoms that can help you detect it in children:
- Urinate many times. In the case of babies we will detect it because they have a soaked diaper very often.
- As a consequence of this increase in urine, another of the most obvious symptoms is a increased thirst, which leads children to ask for water many times during the day and even at night. In younger babies it is a more difficult symptom to detect since they do not yet know how to express it.
- Weightloss. Glucose does not reach the cells and the child loses weight.
- Excessive hunger to compensate for the lack of glucose in the cells.
- Fatigue: The body does not convert glucose into energy and the child feels more tired than normal.
- Irritability
- Blurry vision
If your child has any of these symptoms and you suspect that he may have diabetes, do not hesitate to consult your reference pediatrician, who will carry out the appropriate tests to rule out the disease.
As parents we have a responsibility to educate our children not only with moral values or by providing the best possible education, but we must also teach them that their lifestyle decisions can have long-term consequences. It is our duty to teach you to eat balanced, without abusing sugars, and to exercise regularly. And this education must begin with ourselves, let's not forget that they are our reflection, and they will do the same as they see at home.
Today, World Diabetes Day, from Baby Experience we want to contribute our grain of sand fighting for a future book of diabetes and full of health.
You can find all the information about Diabetes in the web portal: www.fundaciondiabetes.org/
