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With proper monitoring and management, children with diabetes can live long and healthy lives, a diabetes expert says.
Small adjustments
"Although there is no cure at this time, treatment options have significantly improved over the years," said Dr Jason Klein, a paediatric endocrinologist and head of the Paediatric Diabetes Programme at NYU Lutheran Medical Centre in New York City.
"With insulin pens, pumps and modern devices that allow more precise and continuous day and night monitoring of blood sugar levels, we can make small adjustments in the dosage of insulin to prevent sugar levels from rising or dropping too fast. Excellent glucose control gives patients and their families peace of mind," Klein explained in a university news release.
Read: More type 1 diabetes kids face dangerous complications
"Regardless of the type of diabetes [type 1 or type 2] a patient may have, education of the patient and the family is extremely important," he said.
When children are diagnosed with diabetes, parents often fear the worst, he noted.
"We begin with listening to what the families and patients know about diabetes, since many of their fears are based on old or incorrect information," Klein said.
Read: Antibiotics in kids linked to type 1 diabetes
"With good blood sugar control and use of modern treatments and technologies, patients today do not have to have overly rigid lifestyles in order to live long, healthy lives free of complications," he said.
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