Warning Signs of Diabetes in Children

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Dr. David Hill and today we're going to talk about warning signs of diabetes in children. Children can get both type 1 diabetes where their bodies don't make enough insulin and type 2 diabetes which is usually a result of obesity and a complication of being overweight. The signs and symptoms of these two forms of the disease are very similar. You might notice excessive thirst, excessive urination, weight loss, excessive hunger, being too tired or just generally not feeling right. If you see symptoms like this, you might ask your doctor to check the child's urine or check their blood for glucose. It's important to know what your family history is especially for type 2 diabetes, family history is very important and if you or another parent or another close family member has type 2 diabetes, your child may be at greater risk. Also if your child is substantially overweight and that's a number that your doctor should be following by measuring the height and weight at their regular wellness exams. They're probably isn't an age that is too early to get diabetes at, it can present as early as the second or third year of life but it's more common in the school age to presents especially if it's type 1 diabetes. The key thing is to keep an eye out for the symptoms that your child may express that just don't seem right to you. That's the most important thing I can hear as a physician. If a mom or a dad says something is wrong with my child, I have to take that very seriously. So if you feel that something is going on that isn't right, especially drinking too much, urinating too much, losing weight, feeling tired or poor all the time or having an unquenchable appetite, definitely bring it to your doctor's attention and get that person's help getting your child the help they need. Talking about identifying signs of diabetes in young children, I'm Dr. David Hill."