What is type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease that develops when your child's pancreas stops producing enough insulin. Insulin lets blood sugar also called glucose enter the body's cells, where it is used for energy. Without insulin, glucose cannot be used for energy, and the amount of sugar in the blood rises above a safe level. It isn't easy for you or your child to cope with this disease, but knowing as much as possible about type 1 diabetes and its progression can help. Information can give you and your child the resources and coping skills you both need.

What will it be like for my child to live with type 1 diabetes?
Living with type 1 diabetes requires daily attention to what and how much your child eats, insulin injections, blood sugar monitoring, and physical exercise. These will always be a part of your child's daily routine and are the most important part of your child' s diabetes treatment.

Taking care of your child's diabetes takes a lot of time and energy. It will become a big part of your and your child's life. But it will help your child feel better and have a good quality of life. You may worry about your child developing diabetic complications, such as eye, kidney, heart, blood vessel, and nerve diseases. For some reason, children seem protected from complications during childhood. However, persistent high blood sugar levels during childhood and adolescence increase the risk for having these complications in early adulthood. If your adolescent has diabetes, tight control of blood sugar levels can prevent complications from developing in early adulthood.

What symptoms should I watch for?
As your child lives with type 1 diabetes, you need to watch for signs of high and low blood sugar. If you are concerned about your child's blood sugar, do a home blood sugar test don't rely on symptoms alone.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can develop when your child takes more insulin than needed, eats too little food, or is more active than usual. Low blood sugar usually develops within 10 to 15 minutes. Early symptoms include sweating, weakness, shakiness, and hunger; however, your child's symptoms may vary. Over time, your child may not notice these symptoms. If not treated, low blood sugar can get worse and lead to confusion, slurred speech, and loss of consciousness.

High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can develop when your child feels sick or stressed, misses an insulin dose, or eats more than usual. Early symptoms are increased thirst, increased urination, increased hunger, and blurred vision. High blood sugar usually develops slowly over a few days or weeks.

How often does my child need to see the doctor?
See your child's doctor at least every 3 to 4 months to evaluate how well the treatment is working. During these visits, the doctor will do some tests to evaluate your child's blood sugar control. Based on these results, your child's treatment plan could change.

When your child is 10 years old or starts puberty, he or she will start having screening exams and tests for diabetic complications. The timing varies depending on the type of test.

How will my child's treatment change over time?
Your child's insulin dose, possibly the types of insulin, and the way insulin is given (by injection or insulin pump) may change over time. Your child's nutritional needs will also vary, but spreading carbohydrate throughout the day will always be important. Carbohydrate is the nutrient that most affects blood sugar.

When your child enters puberty, his or her insulin requirements will alter dramatically. During this time of rapid growth and development, your child's treatment will change to keep pace with a changing body.