Chrissy Teigen reveals her six-year-old son Miles has type 1 diabetes. Learn all about type 1 diabetes in children.
Model Chrissy Teigen, who is married to Grammy Award-winning singer John Legend, has revealed that her six-year-old son Miles has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which is most common in children. The boy was hospitalized for another illness when the mother of four found out Miles had diabetes. Does this mean type 1 diabetes is hard to detect in children? Here's everything you need to know about type 1 diabetes, its causes, common symptoms, and more.
Chrissy Teigen on her son's type 1 diabetes diagnosis
The 38-year-old model took to Instagram to thank her 42.3 million followers for reaching out to her after they noticed her son wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) people with type 1 diabeteson the picture.
“You noticed his type 1 diabetes monitor and showed him so much love and support in every way possible. I was and am so overwhelmed by the kindness of this community,” she wrote.
Check out her post here!
She went on to say that she learned of her son’s diagnosis after he was taken to the hospital with a “horrible case of shigella” (a bacteria that causes diarrhea). Teigen noted that doctors knew “there was something else wrong with his blood work.” She has since learned that “so many little kids end up getting diagnosed with type 1 — being sent to the hospital for something completely different.”
What is type 1 diabetes?
Insulin is an important hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach. It is designed to convert sugar, or glucose, from food into energy. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition in which the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, leading to high blood sugar, says endocrinologist Dr. Pranav GodiAccording to U.S. data, approximately 5 to 10 percent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionType 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but it usually occurs in children and adolescents, according to National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
What are the symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children?
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can develop quickly in children and may include:
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- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination, including bedwetting in children
- Severe hunger
- Unintentional weight loss
- Fatigue and weakness
- Blurred vision
- Irritability or mood swings
What are the causes of type 1 diabetes in children?
In most cases, this type of diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune disorder. In these situations, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, says Dr. Godey.
Here are some factors that may contribute to this:
- Family members of patients with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes during their lifetime.
- Viral infections and toxic chemicals can trigger an immune response that leads to diabetes.
How is type 1 diabetes diagnosed in children?
In most cases, a diagnosis is made after diabetes symptoms become noticeable and testing is done. But routine blood tests are not usually recommended if the child is healthy. Diagnosis usually involves a thorough medical history, a physical examination, and specific blood tests, the expert says.
General diagnostic tests include:
- Fasting Blood Sugar Test: The test is done to measure blood sugar after an overnight fast. If the reading is above 126 mg/dL, it is considered abnormal.
- Two-hour oral glucose tolerance test: measures blood sugar levels two hours after drinking a standardized sugar solution. If the sugar level is above 200 mg/dL, it is considered abnormal.
- A1C test: This shows your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. An A1C level of 6.5% or higher is abnormal.
Typically, in children without symptoms, two or more tests need to be abnormal to confirm the diagnosis, the expert says. Sometimes, children may show symptoms of diabetes or ketoacidosis, which is a serious complication of diabetes. In these cases, a random blood sugar test (taken at any time) may be done. If it is above 200 mg/dL, that suggests diabetes.
How is type 1 diabetes treated in children?
There is currently no cure for type 1 diabetes, but it can be effectively controlled –
1. Insulin therapy
Because children with type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin, the main treatment is lifelong insulin therapy. This can be done with multiple daily injections or an insulin pump, which provides a continuous supply of insulin, the expert says.
2. Monitoring blood sugar levels
Ordinary blood sugar monitoring is necessary for children with diabetes. This is usually done with a glucometer or continuous glucose monitor (CGM), which consists of three parts –
- A small, disposable sensor needs to be inserted under your baby's skin using a sticky patch. There is also an implantable sensor that can be placed inside your body. These sensors help assess the glucose levels in the fluid between your baby's cells.
- The second part of a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system is a transmitter that sends information to the third part, which is software stored on your phone or insulin pump.
3. Diet
A balanced diet which includes carbohydrates, proteins, and fats is critical. Children or parents need to learn how to count carbohydrates to match insulin doses to food intake. For example, if your child plans to eat 45 grams of carbohydrates per day, and their insulin to carbohydrate ratio is one unit of insulin for every 15 grams of carbohydrate consumed. Then divide 45 by 15 to find out how much insulin you need to give your child.
4. Physical activity
Regardless of age, regular exercise is important for overall health. It can also help control blood sugar levels, says the expert. Some people may experience a drop in blood glucose during or after exercise. So before your child goes out to play, check their blood glucose levels and be prepared. treat hypoglycemia or low blood glucose. If blood glucose is below 100 mg/dL, give them a carbohydrate snack of about 15 grams before exercise to raise blood glucose levels.
5. Transplantation
This is often done as part of a simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant for children with advanced kidney disease due to diabetes, says Dr. Godey. New diabetes treatment options being studied include islet cell transplantation, which involves transplanting insulin-producing cells from a donor pancreas into a person with type 1 diabetes.
Children are usually more susceptible to type 1 diabetes. If children are healthy, type 1 diabetes can be relatively easy to diagnose. But if they start showing symptoms of diabetes, tests can help diagnose it.