Is My Toddler Diabetic?

K.
Is your child out putting as much as she is taking in? If this is so she may not be. Is she really sleepy, is she active? Dont wait to get her to the doctor do it now. If she is diabetic she could go into a diabetic coma and that would be worse than having to give her meds for being diabetic. Tell your doctor everything. Don't hold any information back. Please get her to the doctor as soon as possible.
good luck.
B.

1 mom found this helpful

K.,
Take your daughter to the doctor to be evaluated. The sooner you know the sooner treatment and behavior changes can be made. It sounds concerning to me and I am a nurse practitioner but, a blood test or urinalysis may help figure this out. Good awareness about your daughter's behaviors. Good luck,
Kir

1 mom found this helpful

Your post describes my toddler, who will be 3 in January. She is always hungry and seems to practically inhale any drinks we give her - milk, water, or juice. We had to start giving her 2% milk because whole was making her sick sometimes. That started after she turned 2. 2% has less fat and sugar, so that might be what made the difference. Our nutritionalist was worried about her weight for a while but she hasn't gained an ounce for the past 4 months, since we changed to 2%, and has grown almost 2 inches in that time, so she is evening out.

If you are worried, have her doctor run some tests. I developed gestational diabetes during both of my pregnancies, and diabetes also runs in my family. On a good day I am borderline so I have to watch it and there is a good chance my kids could develop it as well.

Does she ever seemed spaced out or real cranky more than usual? Diabetes is a growing trend among children, though because you had it while pregnant doesn't mean she will necessarily get it as a child, but it could mean she has something else such as yeast syndrome. Things you may want to ask yourself. Does she eat high glycemic foods such as pretzels, bagels, non-whole grain bread like bunny bread and wonder bread, same with pasta. Refined sugars and simple carbs are terrible for people - kids and adults. Does she also have frequent diaper rashes, even in the form of slight reddness in that general area or if she is still in diapers (most are at her age) does she have a barely noticable rash on her tummy in her diaper area still? Does she indicate cravings for those sugars and simple carbs? It is quite possible she has a yeast condition if you answered yes to any of those. Just getting yeast under control can make a huge difference that will last a lifetime if you keep up with it, but it also would require a diet change. She will acquire tastes that are not always chemically flavored and sweetened. Most kids these days run around begging for candy, mac-n-cheese, and chicken nuggets because they HAVE to have them. The yeast needs to feast in order to continue to grow out of control.

You could get her tested for diabetes especially if she is showing not just signs of thirst, but also weight loss, tummy aches, headaches, behaviour problems, tiredness, and frequent urination. A test wouldn't hurt anything, though my question would then be what is causing her to have this problem if the result is positive...yes I know what the definition of diabetes is, but WHY did this autoimmune disorder kick in? Is it a yeast condition masked or is something else going on? That would be a VERY difficult question for your average physician to reasonably answer.

Just in case she does have a yeast problem (which can actually also cause diabetic response - read about yeast syndrome) she can easily and safely begin with a good probiotic. Kids usually take the same amount as adults and whatever they don't use, they poop it out so no harm is done. It helps to get beneficial bacteria in the intestine to battle over-growth of yeast. It is completely harmless and is many times added to yogurt as an added benefit to aid in improved digestion. Digestion is hugely important considering the use of nutrients basically gets decided in the intestines and that is where 80% of the immune system is driving from. Good luck, God Bless and I hope your little one doesn't have "diabetes".

B. :)

I have found a product that decreases the need for insulin and or pills for diabeties. It is called Original Limu. Web page www.lymphmassage911.originallimu.com and please check out the USA national research page www.pubmed.org and fill in the word Fucoidan , which is the brown algee that is in the limu by 87%. Always consult with your Dr.& please bring him the reseach you found and the printed off pages from the limu site. If you start your Dr. with his permission , please check her finger sticks as often as your Dr. Says. Thanks and Good Luck.

I am diabetic because I am taking prednisone and I'm told to drink at least 3 12-16 ozs of water a day to flush the sugar out of the kidney. This will help lower her sugar, Milk has sugar, try soy or at least 2 percent. If you want to sweeten a food for her use equal or walmart has a generic blue package of equal cheaper. The most important thing is to read labels and watch her carbs, carbs are sugar too. It's complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it you'll be just fine. Yes, check with the doctor, this is a serious illness, erspecially for an infant. Let me know what you try, merssage me @ ____@____.com or email

What is it she's drinking? My kids drink mainly water. When I give them milk and juice then suck it down 2 or 3 times as much and quicker than the water.

I agree w/ the response that said it might be for the taste.

i don't believe your baby is diabetic...my 3 yr old drinks water like it's going out of style and i had that worry too...so i checked with her pediatrician and she told me that my baby uses up alot of energy and she's just thirsty. i even went and got a 2nd opinion and that pediatrician pretty much said the same thing...i don't let my child drink alot of beverages that contain sugar because she's already hyper enough...but just check with your ped. just in case because i'm not a doctor...just sharing some experience with you...let me know how it goes!

My younger sister is diabetic. I have been really paranoid about any could-be symptoms in my kids. So far, so good! I suggest a blood test just to ease your nerves. More than likely it is just a hungry and thirsty toddler...but, better safe than sorry. Best of wishes. C.

I have a few thoughts/questions: 1) What "drinks" is she draining? If it's juice or milk, you should probably cut back. My daughter only drinks 4 oz of juice a day, and that's diluted. The rest of the day she drinks water. I've had this pattern since she was a year old. Right now, she only drinks about 16 oz. of milk a day, but at that age (1-2 years) she was drinking about 28 oz. If she's drinking more juice and milk, she's probably drinking them for the taste instead of for thirst. 2) Does she show any signs of low blood sugar, such as trembling or getting jittery before meals? or after eating sugary foods? Keep in mind that many processed foods have alot sugar in them, not just candy, etc. Even many wheat breads have a lot of sugar.
I hope that helps!

It sounds like you're doing everything right (milk and h20, rather than juice), but I'd talk to your Dr., too. Sometimes children with diabetes will have kind of a brown ring around their neck, but not always, so that's not diagnostic. You really should just talk to your Dr. You're very smart to have noticed this and to get to the bottom of it. Good luck, and please keep us posted!
-A.

As long as your daughter is active, doesn't seem overly tired and cranky - you should be fine. To put your mind at ease at your daughter's next scheduled check up discuss your concerns with her pediatrician.

H. :)

Hi K.!!

I wouldn't worry too much about her drinking so much. All three of my kids would suck down a gallon a day if you would let them (when they were that age). I don't know a lot of other symptoms associated with juvenile diabetes, but I do know that their breath will often have a "fruity" smell. Also, if her sugar is too high, or too low, her actions should change a bit. Pay close attention to her- is she lethargic or seeming to comprehend things less? Does she act faint or weak? Other than that, I would say ask your doc! Good luck and I hope everything turns out well!

I would take her to the doctor. My mom just found out she has diabetes so I know what the feeling is like. I'm worried that I have diabetes and even scarier is my fiancee's dad has diabetes so now I'm afraid he will too.