Diabetes risk for under-fives

TYPE 1 diabetes is increasing in the under-fives in Ireland, says Dr Anna Clarke, health promotion officer with the Diabetes Federation of Ireland.

It’s worrying that a Diabetes UK finding — that nine out of 10 parents don’t know the four main symptoms of Type 1 diabetes — could just as easily apply here.

In the British survey of 1,170 parents, only 9% correctly identified frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme tiredness and unexplained weight loss as symptoms of the condition.

According to Diabetes UK, this lack of awareness partly explains why a quarter of children are only diagnosed once they’re seriously ill with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening condition requiring treatment in hospital.

DKA occurs when the body’s unable to break down glucose because of insufficient insulin. Instead, it breaks down fat as an alternative fuel. This causes build-up of a by-product, called ketones, which can lead to coma and death.

In Ireland, where 3,000 children aged under 18 have Type 1 diabetes, anecdotal reports suggest an even higher proportion (one-third) aren’t diagnosed until they have DKA.

“A big issue is children go to their GP and they’re told ‘ok, maybe it’s diabetes — we’ll keep an eye on it’. Often, it will have advanced by the time they’re seen again, because children, by nature, deteriorate very rapidly,” says Clarke.

Diabetes UK has launched a campaign to highlight the ‘4 Ts’ of Type 1 diabetes symptoms: toilet, thirsty, tired and thinner. This is targeted at parents, but also at healthcare professionals, in a bid to get kids tested for type 1 diabetes as soon as they present with any symptoms.

Diabetes UK chief executive, Barbara Young, says a delay “of a matter of hours can be the difference between being diagnosed at the right time and being diagnosed too late”.

While acknowledging the excellent work done by many healthcare professionals in recognising the 4 Ts and ensuring children are tested quickly, Young says: “We hear about awful cases where parents are told their child has a virus or a urine infection and are told to come back for a test if the symptoms persist. We need to stop this happening.”