Infant Diabetes

Hi! My daughter was diagnosed at age 19 months with type 1 diabetes and my son was diagnosed at age 6.
The symptoms you describe seem perfectly normal. My daughter was soaking her bed 3 times per night and drinking cup after cup of water and was desperate for food all the time.
Go to your pediatrician if you have concerns. It's a simple test to rule out any problems.

Remember......a concerned mom is a good mom! You are doing great!

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Sounds like she is just getting older. I have noticed that pampers have a tendency to appear very wet very quickly.
I have never heard of giving a baby ice water- seems a little harsh on her stomach- that could have something to do with the wet diapers and the waking. And I would drop the juice- there is no reason for her to have it.
If the diaper change could be all that it is. Try switching back and see if her sleep habits return- maybe they feel really wet to her too.

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My response is from a few different points of view - one as a mother and the other as someone who's worked in the field of Diabetes for over 8 years.

Though not impossible, it's quite uncommon for children to develop Type 1 diabetes as infants. But, no one really understands the spontaneous auto-immune disorder that prevents the beta cells from producing insulin in these patients.

The traditional signs of Diabetes are polyuria (excessive urination), polydipsia (excessive thirst) and polyphagia (excessive hunger).

Because the insulin isn't delivering the glucose to the cells, it is excreted in the urine which will begin to develop a sweet smell. This is usually when it's quite extreme. Also, as the cells are deprived of energy (glucose), someone with type 1 diabetes will have a really hard time keeping weight on them.

Type 2 diabetes is completely different, and it's usually associated with obesity as the body begins to produce less insulin and becomes resistant to it. It's on the rise with kids in the US, but this doesn't sound like anything you're experiencing.

So, as a Mom - I think everything is completely normal - she's just getting to a different phase in her development making her more clingy, more interested in foods and having different metabolic needs than she did a few weeks ago.

I don't see ANY reason that ice water is bad for her. A sippy cup/bottle will regulate the amount of water getting into her belly. Juice isn't bad, but I'd personally recommend watering it down simply because I didn't want my kids getting accustomed to the full flavor and the needless calories.

If you're really concerned, call the pediatrician. If you're a first time mom, they're used to these calls and would rather you bring her into them now than wait for ketoacidosis (if she really does have diabetes) and an intensive hospital stay.

Good luck! I honestly believe all is OK.

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Gibby,

I think you might be worrying a little too much. Everything seems pretty normal. Diapers absorb differently...some better than others. If you really worried buy a package of the diapers you were using and see if you still notice a difference. A lot of babies will start going to only 1 nap a day around 1 year so she may be shifting that way already. Personally I would not feed her any juice even though you are watering it down because it has so much sugar. Let her eat her fruit instead of drinking it. She will get fuller from that as well. They also will eat more when they go through growth spurts. Hope this helps.

In Health,
M.

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I agree with the first reply - nothing wrong with wet diapers. Personally I never liked the pampers brand. Definitely agree, skip the juice. If you have any concerns about something like diabetes, then you need to talk with your daughter's doctor. It doesn't sound as if she has any symptoms of that, though.

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It sounds like your daughter gets a lot of fluids so she will have wet diapers. I just wanted to comment that my daughter never really took 2 naps once she left the newborn stage. And now that she is 2, I really REALLY sometimes wish she would take at least one. If I could bottle that energy....

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She sounds perfectly normal! This age is when they start shifting their naps around and teething, so their schedule gets mixed up easily. Water is fine for a little one her age, and it's much better to get her used to drinking water than juice. I always gave my older 2 kids like 2 ounces of juice and 6 ounces of water - mistake! They wouldn't drink straight water for a LONG time. Now, my 14 month old will suck down water with nothing in it. That's much healthier. Good luck with this - it will straighten itself out.

Hi, I have an 18 year old who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 7. Generally, with type 1 diabetes, there is extreme thirst. Your daughter would probably be sucking down bottles and wanting more. I do think you should call your pediatrician if you are concerned, that way you will know for sure.

I am not sure why you are thinking diabetes. Does it run in your family?Are you a nurse? Baby's go through growth spurts where they eat more and then sometimes they don't eat much because there in a slow growing state. Are you sure you're not feeding your child too much? You need to talk to your child's doctor.

My boys would always pee through pampers no matter what they always leaked. But its normally for children to go through a clingy period with intense fear of strangers (anyone they don't see on a daily basis) at about a year to 18 months. She may have started early if your really concerned call your ped and get a test. Also alot of foods have water in them and can cause the peeing. As far as the nap my son dropped his morning nap at 9 months.