Until recently, the common diabetes diagnoses in children and teens was type 1 (the body doesn’t produce enough insulin).
Due to the growing child obesity epidemic, however, children are now also diagnosed with type 2 (unable to make or use insulin well).
Here are 5 other myths and facts about children and diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes is only found in children.
MYTH: Earlier it used to be called juvenile diabetes—that’s why many believe type 1 diabetes only occurs in children. While type 1 diabetes most commonly develops in children and young adults, the fact is it can also occur in adults.
Risk of diabetes might be impacted by your family.
FACT: While anyone can get diabetes, it is true that type 1 diabetes has a genetic link. If an immediate relative has type 1 diabetes, your risk of developing it is 10 to 20 times the risk of the general population—depending on which family member has diabetes and when they developed it.2
Type 2 diabetes can run in families, too. If parents teach children poor health habits — eating a poor diet, not exercising—their risk of getting type 2 diabetes is much higher.3
Diabetes management is impacted by a child’s school environment.
FACT: If a child’s blood sugar or insulin levels are thrown off, they could quickly develop hypoglycemia—a condition of low blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, usually less than 70 mg/dl. Share knowledge with your child’s teacher and school nurse on how your child treats their health condition. Helping fellow students better understand diabetes can boost acceptance of your child’s health condition.
Everyone who has diabetes needs insulin.
MYTH: Persons with type 2 diabetes do not require insulin but may need it in their medication plan in order to best control their blood sugars. Persons with type 1 diabetes need insulin because their pancreas is not making any insulin.
People with diabetes can’t have sugar.
MYTH: A healthy well balanced diet is the best approach and is the same for anyone: low in saturated fats, moderate salt and sugar in take, and having more fruit and vegetables in each meal.
By Danielle Harris, PharmD
Danielle is a Residency Site Coordinator for Walgreens. She is residency trained in community pharmacy, passionate about expanding the role of pharmacist driven patient care services such as Medication Therapy Management, diabetes care and immunizations.
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