Baby Diabetes: an Overview

Baby diabetes is a common problem that comes across as a shocker for most of the parents. The disease has the ability to rob the precious childhood out of your child. The unfortunate fact is that parents sometimes fail to recognize the symptoms and do not seek medical help. Being naïve, they tend to attribute the lethargy of the one year old to an array of common nutritional factors or influence of the idiot’s box.

Baby diabetes can turn into a life threatening situation at times. The most challenging part is that the baby cannot tell you when it is sick. If the parents try to treat vomiting or flu with the earlier prescribed or commonly available medicines, they might involuntarily overlook the possibilities of baby diabetes. Unlike grown up kids, babies are entirely dependent on the parents for their survival. Since the baby lack the ability to convey its ailments in a comprehensive way, the parents shouldn’t take any chance with its health. Even if it is correctly diagnosed, unflinching dedication is instrumental in keeping the blood sugar in place and aiding the baby in living a healthier life.


There are three common types of diabetes – type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. A forth type of diabetes can be caused by some genetic disorders or rare medical conditions. But this is not a prevalent type of diabetes. Baby diabetes usually falls under the type 1 category. Half of the people affected by type 1 diabetes are children. Therefore, it is also known as Juvenile diabetes. The appalling fact is that the symptoms will be displayed only after the diabetes has severely affected the body, preventing an early detection. Most of the victims of baby diabetes need to take insulin injections several times a day.

The only way to avoid a critical and potentially lethal situation is timely diagnosis and insulin supplements. Just like adults, babies also experience the usual symptoms like blurry vision, fatigue, tingly feet, or itchy skin; they obviously can’t communicate it. But parents can watch out for other visible behavior. Some of the patterns that should keep the parents’ antenna up are frequent urination, extreme thirst, sudden weight loss, lethargy etc. It is always better to get a simple medical test done and be sure about the situation.

There aren’t any proven methods to prevent the baby diabetes. The parents can still practice some common caveats with the food habits. If your family has a history of celiac disease, the baby may also have the same digestion problem. Starting solid food in the early months can turn out to be a bad decision. It is not advised to start solids until the baby is at least 4 months old. Some babies might not be ready for solid food till they are 7 months old. A safer alternative would be to avoid wheat and other grains and start with fruits and vegetables.  With lot of medical help available and the state focus on infant and baby health, seeking a consultation before the decision can be immensely helpful.

Baby diabetes is a prevalent condition and the only way to deal with it to be alert and seek medical intervention at an early stage.