Diabetes Health Talk

Children living in poverty have high levels of diabetes risk factors and need early detection and intervention programs, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas A&M University, San Antonio.

A study of 1,402 fourth grade students ages 8-10 years old in Texas aimed to determine the prevalence of high blood glucose, obesity, low fitness and energy insufficiency levels among children from poor families. Nearly 75 percent of the participants lived in households with less than $20,400 annual income. The racial/ethnic backgrounds of the students were 80 percent Mexican-American, 10 percent African-American, 5 percent Asian-American and 5 percent non-Hispanic white.

The study found that 44 percent of the students were energy insufficient, 33 percent were obese and 7 percent had high blood glucose levels. Most of these students had marginal to unacceptable fitness levels and ate high energy-dense and low nutrient-dense foods.

The researchers concluded: “Our results elucidate the high levels of diabetes risk among children from poor South Texas families. Unless we invest in early age interventions and quantify the results, diabetes morbidity and health care cost will remain uncontrolled.”-American Dietetic Association

Age-Related Issues

Having a child with diabetes can cause many new stresses and worries. There are age-related issues that you may come across when parenting an infant, toddler, teen, or young adult with diabetes. This section will give you tips, hints, and advice on parenting a child with diabetes.

Diabetes in Infants & Toddlers

There’s not much that’s more frightening than having your infant or toddler diagnosed with diabetes. And a lot of the books and information out there are geared to older kids with diabetes. Download Diabetes in Infants & Toddlers (PDF) to learn more about how to cope with diabetes in younger children.

Preschoolers

Preschoolers with diabetes often have not yet learned to recognize symptoms of low blood glucose, or they aren’t able to tell others when they are feeling “low.” So it’s important to check your preschooler’s blood glucose level often.

Understandably, preschoolers are often frightened by fingersticks and insulin shots. They may try to avoid or delay getting them. It can help to say, “Yes, I know it hurts” and “You’re being very brave.” Stickers and rewards help encourage a child to have a fingerstick or shot. Use positive reinforcements rather than scolding or threats of punishment. You might set up a star chart where your child gets a star for each fingerstick or shot, then stars can be “redeemed” for a trip to the playground, a new book, or another favorite treat. (Try to avoid tying rewards to food, though, as this can build unhealthy relationships with food.)

Young children with diabetes can go through the same fussy eating phases as other children. It’s usually best not to force a fussy child to eat. Have a variety of foods on hand. If your child rejects one food, offer something else, or offer juice or milk instead.

School-Age Children

School-age children want to be like their peers. The child with diabetes may feel “different” because of having to take insulin, check blood glucose regularly, and follow a meal plan. The best way to handle this will depend on the individual child’s personality.

Some children will check their blood glucose or give themselves an insulin injection for show-and-tell. Older children have presented science projects on diabetes and its care. However, a child who is shy or sensitive about having diabetes may not want to bring diabetes to “center stage” and may prefer to keep their diabetes more quiet. It’s usually best to follow the child’s lead on who to tell and how much. It’s usually necessary to tell a certain number of people, such as teachers, coaches, close friends, and family.

But beyond these “must tells,” try to leave the decisions about who to tell and how much to say to your child.