Research is ongoing into discovering the causes of diabetes in children, and there is reason to believe that the outcome will be successful sometime in the future. Of course, discovering the causes will lead to a cure for the disease. Right now, however, the job of figuring out the disease is a complex one and the obstacles that must be overcome are significant.
The most like theory as to what the causes of diabetes in children are is that the condition is triggered if the immune system becomes weakened or attacked in any way. If the immune system suffers it can be due to a number of different reasons such as toxins or infection. Genetics may play a part in this process, and contact with certain viruses could also trigger the condition. Other causes of this condition that are being considered include environmental factors, food allergies and even childhood vaccinations. However, there is no definitive proof regarding any of these factors at this time.
Whatever the actual trigger, the result is an autoimmune response in the body wherein it starts attacking certain cells in the pancreas. These cells are responsible for the production of insulin, which is a hormone necessary for controlling the glucose, or sugar, levels in the bloodstream. If your system doesn’t produce sufficient quantities of insulin it’s unable to properly manage the blood glucose levels. This can lead to a number of uncomfortable symptoms and will ultimately be fatal if left unmanaged.
It should be noted that the causes of Type 1 diabetes in children are different from those of Type 2 diabetes, which more typically affects adults and can often result from obesity and poor dietary habits.
The good news, though, is that treatment of diabetes in children is completely possible with regular insulin shots and careful adjustment of your child’s diet. This involves avoiding sugary foods and those that are high in simple carbohydrates. Indeed, it’s critical to eat smarter and more healthfully in order to give your child’s system all the help it can get in maintaining proper levels of blood glucose.
Some people wonder what the difference is between Type 1 diabetes in children and juvenile diabetes. Well, there isn’t any. They’re both the same condition. The term juvenile diabetes is just more commonly used when children and adolescents acquire the disease. But since it can also develop in adulthood, it is more correctly known as Type 1 diabetes. In either case, the only way to manage it effectively is with insulin injections and lifestyle changes.