What You Need To Know About Childhood Diabetes

There are two types of diabetes, type 1, which is genetic, and type 2, which is caused by lifestyle and dietary factors. As a parent, you can do a lot to help prevent your child from developing type 2 diabetes. Your pediatrician can help. The pediatricians at Bethany Pediatrics in Ellicott City, MD, provide a wide range of children’s medical services, including diabetes diagnosis, treatment, and management.

What You Need to Know about Childhood Diabetes

As a parent, there are some important steps you can take to help prevent type 2 diabetes. Remember to:

• Limit your child’s sugar intake, including candy, soda, and fruit juices, which are all high in sugar
• Limit snacking in between meals, and confine snacks to healthy foods
• Limit fast food, which is high in calories, and low in nutrients
• Make sure your child eats a nutrient-rich diet of vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and low-fat dairy
• Keep your child active to limit weight gain and promote a healthy lifestyle

Your child might be developing type 2 diabetes if you notice some of these common signs and symptoms:

• Frequent feelings of hunger or thirst
• Increased frequency of urination
• Delayed healing of injuries
• Chronic fatigue throughout the day
• Blurred vision or other vision issues

If your child is experiencing any of the signs and symptoms listed above, you need to make an appointment with our pediatrician for a diabetes evaluation. Your pediatrician will order fasting blood tests to determine whether your child is borderline diabetic or has type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes treatment consists primarily of medication therapy and diet and lifestyle modification. Diabetes has far-reaching harmful effects on your child’s health. You owe it to your child to help prevent type 2 diabetes.

Want to Know More?

To find out more about the prevention of type 2 diabetes in children, talk with the experts. Call the pediatricians at Bethany Pediatrics in Ellicott City, MD. You can reach them in the office by calling (410) 465-7337, so call today.