Juvenile diabetes, more often known as Type 1 diabetes these days, is an autoimmune disease which primarily affects children. Essentially, the body starts to attack its own defense mechanisms for no known reason. In the case of diabetes, it involves the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, which is a hormone essential for regulating blood sugar, or glucose, levels. If the body doesn’t produce sufficient amounts of insulin or it stops responding properly to the presence of insulin in the bloodstream, then glucose accumulates in the blood and isn’t converted to the fuel the body needs to function. Essentially, the blood sugar levels are no longer under control, and this is a serious condition, possibly even life threatening. Although there is no cure for this disease, there are some effective approaches to treatment of diabetes in children that can keep the condition under control.
The current approach to treatment of diabetes in children addresses the lack of insulin in the system. The only way to do that is by injecting insulin into the body’s fatty tissues to replace what the body is no longer producing. And as long as glucose levels are monitored throughout the day and injections administered when required, the disease is completely manageable.
The monitoring of blood glucose levels to assess whether they are within an appropriate range is typically performed by pricking the finger, and testing the resultant drop of blood with a special device that provides results immediately. Diabetics will have to monitor their blood glucose levels several times a day to assess how much insulin they will need and to help them make proper dietary choices. The next step is to provide the body with insulin from external sources whenever it is required. The most usual means of doing so is through an injection, but sometimes pills or a pump are used instead, particular in the case of children.
Research is ongoing into the causes and cures of Type 1 diabetes, and there are some promising results being published. The use of alternative drugs has shown some results, and there are also more invasive methods for treatment of diabetes in children, including transplants. Something you may have heard about is the Human ProIslet Peptide, which holds the promise of regenerating pancreatic islets in order to return this organ to full functionality. The research has so far only been done on animals, but the results look positive. However, until more studies are done into whether or not this will be an effective form of treatment of diabetes in children, the only safe course of action is to continue monitoring and injecting.