Children can develop, or be born with, different types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes is the dominant form of diabetes in children in Qatar.
- Children who have a family history of diabetes are at a higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
- Having type 1 diabetes means a child is insulin dependent; the body is not producing a component that is vital and instead has to rely on an external source, such as an insulin injection.
- Type 1 diabetes cannot be cured.
- Insulin treatment, exercise, healthy eating and education about the disease are the main components of treatment.
- If insulin levels are too high or too low, it can lead to severe health conditions.
Type 2 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes is less common but cases are rising because of changes in lifestyle; unhealthy lifestyle choices such as a poor diet and low physical activity; can greatly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in children.
- A child is at a higher risk of being affected by type 2 diabetes if they have a family history of the disease or if their mother presented with gestational diabetes when she was pregnant with them.
- The primary focus for treatment in type 2 diabetes is to educate patients and their families on a healthy way of living, in order to control their diabetes. Insulin is used to manage some cases.
- Type 2 diabetes is a progressive illness; meaning that it can develop into other illnesses and complications if not treated effectively.
- It is possible to have type 2 diabetes without any symptoms, which is why it is important to understand risk factors and to get your child tested if his/her risk factors are high. Not treating diabetes early can result in irreversible complications. Risk factors include a family history of diabetes, low activity levels, a poor diet, being overweight and a diagnosis of prediabetes.
Prediabetes
- Prediabetes is a stage of diagnosis whereby your child’s blood glucose level (sugar) is unusually high but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
- Prediabetes is preventable in many cases by adopting a healthier lifestyle with healthy diet choices and more physical activity.
- There is a hereditary factor associated with prediabetes; previous family history can increase a child’s risk.
- Prediabetes is curable; if caught early enough, the symptoms of prediabetes can be reversed so that it doesn’t develop into type 2 diabetes, which is incurable.
- If a child is prediabetic, they have a considerably higher risk of being affected by type 2 diabetes.
