1. Paediatric Registrar with an interest in Diabetes
DIABETES in CHILDREN
20/07/2016
Anita Demetriou
Paediatric Registrar with an interest in Diabetes

2. Type 1 Diabetes 95% cases of diabetes in under 16 year olds
17 per 100, 000
Tripled in the last 30 years
Cause: - not lifestyle
Antibodies directed against cells in pancreas
Lack of insulin
Inability to take up glucose into body cells

3. Type 1 Diabetes How does it start? Who is more at risk? Drinking more
Passing urine more
Weight loss
Lethargic/tired
Thrush/skin infections
Acutely unwell; vomiting, drowsy, breathless
Who is more at risk?
Family history of diabetes or thyroid disease or coeliac disease

4. Type 1 Diabetes What does it mean for families?
Huge life-changing event
Several days in hospital having intensive education
Lifelong fingerpricks to check blood sugars
Lifelong 4 injections per day (or more)
1 year after diagnosis some mothers are showing signs very similar to post-traumatic stress disorder
Adolescent period very challenging

5. Type 1 Diabetes What does it mean for families
Balance between maintaining normal life and activities and achieving good control of blood sugars
Night-time insulin and meal-time insulin
Normal healthy diet
Nothing strictly “off-limits”
Training in school, school trips etc

6. Support for Families Support mainly comes from Hospital Diabetes team
Specialist nurses
Doctors
Dieticians
Psychologist
24 hour contact
As required
Social work GP
Family network

7. Type 2 Diabetes Much less common in children On the rise!
The body does make insulin
Not enough
OR it can’t work properly
Being overweight makes you resistant to insulin

8. Type 2 Diabetes in BME communities
Significantly higher risk in these communities
Lifetime risk is approx 50%
Compared with 20%
Rising in Children (epidemic)
Rise in obesity
Rise in gestational diabetes
Sedentary lifestyle
High sugar diets

9. Type 2 Diabetes How does it start? Sometimes no symptoms at all
Thirst, passing more urine, tiredness, lethargy
Sometimes picked up by a healthcare professional by chance or where there is a strong family history

10. Type 2 Diabetes- how can we prevent it?
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
EXERCISE
DIET

11. Prevention
Even a small amount of weight loss or increase in activity can delay or prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes
Exposure in the womb to diabetes in pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
Increased amount of body fat in children
Increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes

12. Any Questions??