Kids and Diabetes

De: Mark A. Ashford

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Hello and welcome to my book: Kids and Diabetes. I hope you enjoy and find it useful.
Children are the parents’ passport into the next adult generation. It is up to parents or adults responsible for a child’s care to, well, take care of the child and be educated on diabetes treatment, understand prescribed care and educate their children about diabetes and their care and teach skills and practices they can carry into adult hood.

Adults advocate for children and the care required in situations where the child cannot speak for themselves. Most childhood diabetes is Type 1, which requires insulin injections to avoid dangerous complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening condition that requires urgent medical attention if not treated promptly. However, this is changing. The incidence of Type 2 diabetes linked to obesity, low activity levels and sedentary lifestyles, as well as poor nutrition and diet, is increasing.

In a nation-wide study[1], the report found a 60% increase in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) among Canadian children over the last decade, with notable disparities in incidence among demographic groups. The research reveals an urgent need for research and policy, and prevents efforts to combat the rising onset of T2D among Canadian youth.[2]

A child may or may not be mature for their age, but they depend on an adult for almost everything until they reach adult hood and assume the responsibilities themselves. This dependency creates a unique series of stresses and demands on adults in whose care they are. The level and maturity of care in schools must be considered. Not all schools are created equal. In Ontario, Canada, where live, public schools must have an individual care plan[3], it should be drawn up and parent(s) in consultation with the principal and the student (as appropriate) should review the Plan of Care during the first thirty school days of every school year and, as appropriate, during the school year. [4]

Friends and peers become a big source of social and emotional support. Peers are people at a similar age or life stage or share similar experiences. This might include living with a condition such as Type 1 diabetes that challenges emotional well-being or mental health. What is experienced and taught to a diabetic child in their early years develops and solidifies into practices, behaviours, and belief in teenage and adult years when they can advocate for themselves.

Diabetes is a debilitating condition that requires significant mental and emotional effort, particularly for children who must manage it while also striving for academic excellence and social integration. Diabetes distress and diabetes burnout are recognized psychological phenomena in patients with Type 1 diabetes. These conditions also manifest in patients with Type 2 diabetes, albeit to a lesser degree. Nevertheless, there is an urgent need to develop professional psychological intervention procedures to provide patients with the necessary care.

Mark A. Ashford - [e-mail]

[1] T. J. Patel, A. Ayub, J. N. Bone, S. Hadjiyannakis, M. Henderson, M. A. Nour, T. E. Pinto, B. Wicklow, J. K. Hamilton, E. A. C. Sellers, and S. Amed, "Incidence Trends of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Medication-Induced Diabetes, and Monogenic Diabetes in Canadian Children, Then (2006-2008) and Now (2017-2019)," Pediatric Diabetes 2023 (2023).
[2] The University of British Columbia, "60% Increase in Type2 Diabetes (T2d) among Canadian Children," (2026).
[3] Canadian Paediatric Society, "Individual Care Plan," (2023).
[4] Government of Ontario, "Supporting Students with Medical Conditions," (2026).