Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body’s immune system damages the pancreas so that it can’t make enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps blood sugar (glucose) get into the cells of the body to be used as energy. When glucose can’t enter the cells, it builds up in the blood, causing high blood sugar, which can cause problems with blood vessels, nerves, kidneys, the heart and other areas of the body (CHOC, 2021). Individuals living with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin daily to keep the blood glucose level within normal ranges. Insulin is administered either by injection or an insulin pump. In addition, treatment includes eating the right foods at the right time to manage blood sugar, and regular blood testing to check blood sugar (glucose) levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that no one knows how to prevent type 1 diabetes, but it can be managed by following doctor’s recommendations for living a healthy lifestyle, managing blood sugar, getting regular health checkups, and getting diabetes self-management education and support.
Depending on the child’s stage of development, here are a few key words you can use when explaining Type 1 Diabetes to children:
• “Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, a sugar your body makes from food to use for energy.”
• “In type 1 diabetes the pancreas cannot make insulin.”
• Pancreas – a long, flat organ in your belly that helps your body digest food. It also makes a hormone called insulin.
• Glucose – a sugar your body makes from food to use for energy
• Insulin – helps sugar enter the body’s cells to give them energy
• Organ – part of your body, like the heart, lungs, or brain, that helps keep your body working
• Cells – building blocks or basic components of your body
According to American Diabetes Association (ADA), the common symptoms of type 1 diabetes may include:
• Urinating often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry — even though you are eating
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Weight loss — even though you are eating more
Type 1 Diabetes Facts from the CDC
• Nearly 1.6 million Americans are living with type 1 diabetes, including 200,000 youth.
• Approximately 5-10% of individuals living with diabetes have type 1.
• 64,000 people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes each year in the United States.
Resources
- Websites
- Books for Children
- Year One with Type One by Mike Suarez
- Taking Diabetes to School by Kim Gosselin
- Caillou: Emma’s Extra Snacks: Living with Diabetes by Anne Paradis
- Peter’s Special Concoction: How a Little Boy Learned to Manage Type One Diabetes by Angela Cleveland
- The Ups and Downs of Audrey May by Missy Mareau Garcia
- Books for Adults
- Think Like a Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin by Gary Scheiner, MS, CDE
- Type One Diabetes for the Newly Diagnosed: What to Expect, What to Do, How to Thrive by Ariel Warren RDN, CDCES
- The Type 1 Life: A Road Map for Parents of Children with Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes by Jessica Freeman
- Bright Spots and Landmines by Adam Brown
- Kids First, Diabetes Second: Tips with Parenting a Child with Type 1 Diabetes by Leighann Calentine
- Actually, I Can.: Growing Up with Type One Diabetes, A Story of Unexpected Empowerment by Morgan J Panzirer
- Apps
- Glucose Buddy
- Diabetes:M
- My Sugr
- Fooducate
- Glucose Buddy Diabetes Helper
- CarbFinder
- TrackMyShots
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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). What is type 1 diabetes? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/what-is-type-1-diabetes.html.
The facts about type 1 diabetes – choc children’s. Children’s Health Orange County (CHOC). (2021). https://www.choc.org/health-topics/facts-type-1-diabetes/.
Type 1 diabetes – symptoms. Type 1 Diabetes – Symptoms | ADA. (n.d.). https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/type-1/symptoms.