Childhood Diabetes: What It Is, How to Recognize It, and Complications in Children
Imagine watching your child grow up healthy and happy and then one day having to face the diagnosis of childhood diabetes like a bolt from the blue. But what is it and how can it be best managed in the child's daily life?
In this article you will discover all the information related to diabetes in children and how a good diet and correct weaning can affect the onset of this according to recent scientific studies.
What is childhood diabetes?
Childhood diabetes is a chronic disease that affects children and adolescents. It occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin, a hormone that is essential for turning glucose (sugar) in the blood into energy for cells. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, acts as a "key" that allows glucose to enter cells.
There are two types of diabetes in children.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus
It is the most common form of childhood diabetes . In this case, the immune system mistakenly attacks the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin, causing a deficiency of this hormone.
According to ANSA data, in 2022, 20 thousand children live in Italy with this type of diabetes.